Hello!

As we close out Women's History Month, I cannot help but think of strong women like Hilda Lindley, Kay Carley, Lillian and Dorothy Disken, and Carol Morrison who fought to protect Montauk’s environment. As founding members of CCOM, it was their historic and monumental contributions that helped shape the Montauk we all know and love. 

CCOM remains focused on our environmental work and will continue to adapt and plan for the well-being of Montauk’s future. Our commitment to ensuring coastal resiliency, improved water quality, and environmental sustainability remains at the forefront of our daily mission. We are looking forward to this season and seeing you at our upcoming events!

Sincerely,

The Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) project on Long Island has commenced and we are closer than ever to seeing sand on Montauk’s ocean beaches.

FIMP would deliver approximately 600,000 cubic yards of ocean-dredged sand on Montauk’s downtown beach. The replenishment cycle is estimated to be up to 400,000 cubic yards every 4 years for 25 years. It is hoped that our efforts to extend the project east, toward Shadmoor, will be successful. This extension would require additional work on behalf of the Town to secure easements from oceanfront property owners but would extend the life of the project as coastal littoral drift brings sediments east to west down our beach.

While FIMP is not a long-term solution to protecting our beaches, dunes, and community, it is a critical short to medium-term step to allow stakeholders time to develop a more comprehensive response plan.

The results of a recent analysis of bluff erosion rates at Shadmoor State Park Preserve using data from the past 60 years and recent GPS monitoring, have shown an erosion rate of approximately 1 foot/year. This has left portions of the hiking trail dangerously close to the bluff edge and the Town will be forced to re-route the trail. These results highlight the very real impact of coastal erosion and the importance of proactive coastal adaptation planning.

In preparation for the Living Shoreline Project coming to Montauk, CCOM joined East Hampton Town employees on March 22 for a tour of the living shoreline construction site at the Shorefront Park in Patchogue, NY. The tour was led by the consultant team (VHB) that worked on the design and permitting for that site.

CCOM is participating in the annual River Herring & Eel Survey, so you might see our staff out working at different monitoring locations throughout Montauk.

Every spring, migratory fish species travel from the ocean upriver to spawn (called "anadromous," like alewives) or grow up ("catadromous," like eels) in the safer confines of freshwater.

American Eels travel all the way from the Sargasso Sea to make it to Montauk’s protective estuarine systems! Sadly, however, they are often restricted by dams or habitat loss. Through regular participation in the Peconic Estuary Partnership, CCOM has advocated for migratory fish habitat restoration in Montauk. Click here to learn about our efforts to help these important fish.