Tag Archives: Geotubes

Montauk Faces Its Long-Term Future

December 17, 2018 Brother Seamus Leave a comment

Below excerpts are from a December 17th editorial in Newsday. The full article is available here.

“Every year, it seems, the ocean washes away the sand covering the bags [installed as part of an artificial dune by the Army Corps of Engineers] and narrows the [Montauk] beach that brings the tourists who fuel the area’s economy…

“…The town is pursuing a plan to move downtown oceanfront businesses inland and let the abandoned grounds serve as the kind of natural dune that has always been the best barrier…

“Montauk is a lesson for all of Long Island. We can keep paying for short-term solutions doomed to failure, or make tough decisions that offer the best chance for long-term survival.”

The full article is available here.

Evaluating the proposed Dredging Project in Quogue

February 18, 2015 Brother Seamus Leave a comment

On February 4th, Dr. Robert S. Young, Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, released the following report (click here), which provides a multi-faceted perspective on the proposed beach nourishment project for the Village of Quogue.

The perspective provided by Dr. Young is based on an evaluation of a report entitled “Shoreline Erosion Assessment and Plan for Beach Restoration Village of Quogue, New York,” which was prepared in July 2011 and has served as the basis for required permit applications to carry out the beachfill project.

In addition, the document contains comments and observations stemming from Dr. Young’s long experience of evaluating coastal engineering projects and assisting community partners with local project assessment.

This evaluation was prepared at the request of the Concerned Citizens of Quogue. We hope that this document can provide additional points for discussion as our community evaluates options for the future management and protection of the Village’s beaches.

To read the report in full, please click here.

Save the Structures, But Lose the Beach

November 7, 2014 Brother Seamus Leave a comment

In a recent article (click here to read), the East Hampton Star lambasted a highly contentious project planned by the Army Corps of Engineers to save ten beachfront properties in Montauk.

According to the article, the Corps is getting ready to install a 3,100-foot-long barrier of sand bags, which “would function as short-lived seawalls, resulting in the near-certain total loss of a passable beach.”

The $9 million project is a perfect example of the negative consequences we face when using engineering “solutions” to protect structures.

“The notion that someday money would be forthcoming to pump sand in from offshore is little more than fanciful thinking; it cannot be the cornerstone of real-world policy.”

Click here to read the entire article.