FIGHTING EROSION ON YOUR PROPERTY

Southold Town is exposed to coastal erosion from both sides - the sound and the bay – due to climate change and storms that have become increasingly less predictable.  But we are also victims of our own actions - wake from water vessels along the shoreline; and our own inaction- failure to address erosion issues before it’s too late or too expensive to fix – like Hashamomuck Cove. “Erosion is difficult to address,” Scott Russell, our Town Supervisor, said in Newsday. “Every solution that we’ve read about or seen has been expensive and short-lasting.”*

            Regardless of the obstacles, we all have a stake in doing what we can to protect the shoreline. Waterfront property owners have an additional responsibility to do the best that they can to protect and prevent erosion on the waterfront property entrusted to them.  Solutions are out there. A possible practical solution that may be employed is creating natural shoreline protection. Cornell Cooperative Extension at Cedar Beach is nearly ready to open a Demonstration Center of various natural shoreline solutions for the benefit of the community.

            Want to know more?  Join me at our SoutholdVOICE Annual Meeting, Saturday, AUGUST 10, 2019, at 9 AM, where we will discuss how we as homeowners can do our part to fight erosion on our own waterfront properties. The meeting will be held at the American Legion Hall, 51655 Main Road, Southold.

As mentioned in last week’s column, we will also cover Health Department Septic Code changes and innovative systems to make our waterways and ground water cleaner.  In addition we will have a update on Dredging and Goldsmith’s Inlet.  Our panel will include:

Al Krupski - 1^st District, Suffolk County Legislator

Joyce Novak, PhD – Director, Peconic Estuary Program

Glenn Goldsmith – Southold Town Trustee

Justin Jobin – Suffolk Department of Health Services, 

Environmental Projects Coordinator

The session is open to all. It’s free…and so’s the coffee!  Hope to see you there – it’s important to you not just as a homeowner, but as a member of the community.

*Newsday, July 28, 2019, Shoring Up LI’s Beaches, pages A2-A4.