It is a controversial strategy that deserves vigorous debate, beach nourishment, but the East Hampton Town Board deserves credit for opting to dump 4,000 tons of sand at Ditch Plains this week, hoping to make it more accommodating for the heart of the summer season, starting the July 4 weekend.
Yes, dumping sand on the beaches to combat erosion is basically the equivalent of backing up trucks full of dollar bills to sacrifice to Mother Nature, as they’re washed away. Projects like the one in downtown Montauk, which installed sandbags to protect properties on the oceanfront there, only make the infusion of cash and sand more important, as East Hampton Town can well attest.
It’s an easy practice to criticize — until the alternatives are considered. It’s costly, but that’s not a counterargument in itself, considering how the region’s massive summer economy (not to mention its real estate industry) depends on healthy beaches. Done properly, beach nourishment can be environmentally responsible and even effective for more than a short period of time: Witness the beaches to the west, in Sagaponack and Bridgehampton, that were nourished with a major project in the winter of 2013-14, and remain healthy.
It’s expensive, and it seems like a losing battle with nature, which it certainly is. But it’s still the best option.
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Gold Stars and Dunce Caps⭐️ : To Cami Hatch, for reminding everyone why learning to swim and lifeguard training are important. The East Hampton graduate, now a University of Tennessee student, has been studying in Italy and was visiting Malta recently when she heard...
Landmark StatusAt the Sag Harbor Cinema on Saturday, a group of admirers came together to pay tribute to a local legend. Karl Grossman recently retired from teaching, which offered an opportunity to gather in his honor and express appreciation for a...
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Staff Writer on Jun 22, 2021