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Army Corps increases resiliency of Coney Island Coastal Storm Risk Reduction Project

Public Affairs
Published June 13, 2016
Col. David Caldwell, commander, New York District, Brig. Gen. William Graham, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-10) and New York Senator Charles Schumer discuss the recently completed Sea Gate Reach project.

Col. David Caldwell, commander, New York District, Brig. Gen. William Graham, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-10) and New York Senator Charles Schumer discuss the recently completed Sea Gate Reach project.

NEW YORK- Today the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) held an event to celebrate the completion of a one of a kind T-groin project in Seagate, N.Y. The project’s purpose is to prevent beach loss, flooding, and erosion on Coney Island by shoring up the Sea Gate Reach portion of the peninsula. Col. David Caldwell, commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District was joined by Brig. Gen. William H. Graham, commander, USACE North Atlantic Division, Sen. Charles Schumer, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler. Also in attendance were Acting Regional Director of the NY State DEC Steve Zahn, Dan Zarrilli of the NYC Mayors Office, NYC Councilman Mark Treyger, Community Board#13, and Steve Wynn of the Sea Gate Association.

The Sea Gate Reach is an essential part of the overall Coney Island shore protection project. The Sea Gate Reach called for the construction of four (4) stand-alone T-groin structures. These structures are free standing, all the stones are interlocked to the core unit’s which are interlocked by the weight of the stones to the corrugated steel used to create the T portion structure on the T-groin themselves.  Seagate and Coney Island will benefit from this project by allowing more sand to stay on the beach for longer periods of time.

“The Sea Gate Reach portion of this project not only marks the completion of this shore protection effort, it ensures that Coney Island Beach will be stronger and retain its sand for longer,” said Col. David Caldwell, commander, New York District.  “The Coney Island community, like so many others, experienced major devastation, flooding, and beach erosion during Hurricane Sandy. This project strengthens Coney Island’s resiliency, makes it more sustainable and reduces risks associated with severe storm events."

The project also includes one rock spur off the existing West 37th Street groin, additional stone armoring of the existing Norton Point dike, and removal of approximately 1,500 linear feet of beach fill currently accumulated in front of the Gravesend Bay bulkheads. This beach fill was placed along approximately 2,000 linear feet of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline within the new T-groin field.

The project was authorized to provide a long-term solution to the beach erosion and sand accumulation that have occurred to the west of the West 37th Street groin. Much of this projects focus areas were negatively impacted with flooding and beach loss during Hurricane Sandy. The Sea Gate reach portion of this project will help keep more sand on Coney Island Public Beach and further mitigate erosion and flooding in the event of a storm or from natural forces.