DESCRIPTION: The project area is located on the south shore of Long Island, consisting of approximately 9 miles of oceanfront from Jones Inlet to East Rockaway Inlet. A historical low height and narrow width of the beach front increased the area’s potential for storm damage. Damaging storms occurred in 1938, 1950, 1953, 1960, 1962, 1984, 1991, 1992 and 2012. In October 2012, Super Storm Sandy caused over $250 million in damages.
The project consists of a berm, dune and groin system that reduces risk against a 100-year storm event for approximately 7 of the 9 miles of public shoreline between Jones Inlet and East Rockaway Inlet, including the communities of Point Lookout, Lido Beach, and City of Long Beach. The project’s approximate sand volume was 4.7 million cubic yards. The project also included rehabilitation of 17 existing groins and construction of 4 new groins.
AUTHORIZATION: The feasibility study was conducted pursuant to a resolution by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the U.S. House of Representatives adopted October 1, 1986. Project construction was authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1996. A feasibility report was completed February 1995, Preconstruction Engineering, and Design (PED) phase was completed September 1997. A Limited Reevaluation Report (LRR) and Environmental Assessment (EA) were initiated in 2005 to reanalyze the project with new data and confirm previous assumptions of the 1995 authorized plan. In 2006, local interests withdrew support from the project, until 2010, upon which the LRR/EA process was re-started at the request of the State of New York. In December 2012 after Hurricane Sandy, local interests agreed with moving the project forward, with each local sponsor passing resolutions to support completion of the Hurricane Sandy LRR and authorized entrance into Project Partnership Agreements with acknowledgement of the responsibility to provide real estate, complete all operations & maintenance, and continue public access. The Draft EA & LRR were made available for public review/comment February 2014, and the report was finalized August 2015.
STATUS: A Project Partnership Agreement for project construction was executed 9 February 2016 between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State of New York. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is the Non-Federal Sponsor, with the City of Long Beach, Nassau County, and the Town of Hempstead as the local sponsors.
The project’s initial construction cost was authorized under Public Law 113-2 at 100% Federal cost. Project construction was initiated April 2016 (groin work) and July 2018 (sand placement) and completed December 2018 (groin work) and March 2020 (sand placement, including plantings, walkover/crossover structures). The project was officially turned over to the State of New York August 2020 for operation and maintenance.
The need for future sand renourishments are determined thru yearly assessments of the project's existing conditions, and any renourishment efforts will be cost-shared at 65% Federal, 35% State of New York, subject to available funding.
A partial renourishment effort for the Long Beach project, which was previously rescheduled to Fall 2025, has now been cancelled due Sponsor (NYS) issues with required cost-share funding. Coordination is underway with NYS for resolution and path forward.
Please see the Long Beach webpage for additional details.
CONTACTS:
Frank Verga
Project Manager
P: (917) 790-8212
Email: Frank.Verga@usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
Programs and Project Management Division
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278