zoomPhoto courtesy of Phillip Zaner‎

Suffolk County (NY) waterways are now much safer for boaters travelling throughout the Long Island following the completion of the county 2018-2019 Priority Waterway Dredging Program.

The County Executive Steve Bellone announced Monday, Jan. 21, that the Department of Public Works has now completed dredge work in seventeen priority waterways across six towns to ensure safe passage for the commercial and residential fishing and boating industries.

“This completion marks an important milestone to ensure that our waterways are safer for boaters throughout Long Island,” said County Executive Bellone. “Now our commercial fishing and boating industries can have greater confidence when navigating local waterways while also strengthening our shoreline.”

To complete the project, the County utilized an in-house, four-person dredge crew under the Department of Public Works Waterways section in addition to third-party contractors. All together in 2018-2019, projects where completed in the Towns of Riverhead, Southold, Southampton, East Hampton, Shelter Island and Islip.

According to the release, approximately 167,000 cubic yards of dredged material has been placed along approximately 11,000 feet of shoreline to restore local beaches and increase storm resiliency.

The County Executive also announced the completion of two restoration projects with significant public benefit: the Meschutt County Park Beach Nourishment and the Coecles Harbor Revitalization project.

Additionally, the Department of Public Works performed extensive shoreline restoration to the significantly eroded and recently breached natural protective features at Reel Point.