Romaine: Mattituck Inlet Needs Dredging Too

Dear Editor:

I am disappointed that the Army Corps of Engineers has failed to dredge Mattituck Inlet. Mattituck Inlet is one of only ten Long Island Sound maritime centers, abutting marinas hosting more than 20 commercial vessels and over 100 recreational vessels, boats in transit, local police, and New York State DEC. It is one of the few launch points for rescue boats.  Larger vessels have difficulty entering marinas in the inlet at low tide, which is not only an inconvenience, but a safety hazard.

One of the larger vessels moored at Mattituck is an oil service tender that travels to and from an oil platform three miles in the Sound. This platform pumps oil through a pipeline more than a mile long to onshore storage tanks in Riverhead. More than 90% of the East End’s heating oil is supplied by this platform. If an incident occurred at low tide, the service tender would find it difficult, if not impossible, to reach the platform.

The inlet was last dredged in 2004, yet only part of the work was completed before funding was diverted to the South Fork.  The North Fork cannot continue to play second fiddle to the Hamptons. Mattituck Inlet is an important waterway and should receive the same attention as those on the South Fork. I would urge Congressman Bishop to work with the Army Corps of Engineers to have it dredged sooner than later. We need all of our federal officials to speak up for this much-needed project or it will not happen.

Sincerely,

Edward P. Romaine

Suffolk County Legislator, First District