Dire Straits: Montauk Inlet Emergency Dredging to Restore Safe Passage for NY’s Top Fishing Port

So much sand built up in Montauk Inlet that commercial fishing boats bumped the bottom, ran aground, some large trawlers were forced to dock in Rhode Island, and surfers rode waves crashing over the shoals.

It was dire straits for the largest commercial fishing port in New York State until a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ dredge ship that arrived over Valentines Day weekend began the emergency project to make the inlet safely passable again. The arrival came two weeks after the agency secured funding for the project and surveyed the inlet to verify reports that shoaling made for dangerously shallow waters in parts of the inlet, especially at low tide.

“It’s been a really treacherous situation,” Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association in Montauk, told Dan’s Papers. “The month of January was pretty much a loss to the packhouses. The inlet was three feet in places.”

The work comes after the Army Corps contracted a dredge to make Mattituck Inlet passable again last fall and as the agency is in the midst of the long-awaited $1.7 billion Fire Island to Montauk Point Project in which it is building up oceanfront beaches and elevating structures to mitigate future hurricane damage.

The Wilmington-based 156-foot, 550-ton Dredge Murden will clear out 100,000 cubic feet of sand to give the inlet a depth of 12 feet, allowing enough clearance for the 500 commercial fishing boats that land their catches in Montauk. The work was underway, but had to be temporarily suspended until storm seas calmed. It will reportedly cost $525,000 for a week of dredging.

The work comes as plans to dredge Montauk to 17 feet were repeatedly delayed, with the latest timeline for the job starting in November or December. Montauk Inlet was last dredged in 2018.

“This work is about keeping our community strong,” East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez told reporters during a Feb. 18 news conference in Montauk. “It’s about ensuring that Montauk remains a thriving fishing port, that our local businesses continue to grow, and that families who have lived and worked here for generations can continue to do so without fear of losing access to their own harbor.”

She joined Brady, fishermen, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and Army Corps of Engineers leaders to announce the emergency dredging is officially underway.

“This project is about keeping Montauk’s working waterfront viable,” said East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys, one of the most vocal proponents of the project. “For too long, our fishermen have faced unsafe conditions, putting themselves at risk just to do their jobs. This dredging will restore safe navigation and help ensure that Montauk remains a premier fishing port on the East Coast.”

The impact on the commercial fishing industry was estimated to be upwards of $100,000. Some of the largest trawlers were forced to dock in Port Judith, Rhode Island instead until the situation was remedied. Beyond New York, Montauk ranks as the 51st largest commercial fishing port in the nation by poundage and 53rd in dollar value, Brady noted.

“We are here today because of a united effort from all levels of government to respond swiftly to a critical need in our community,” U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point) said at the news conference. “I am especially grateful to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their swift response to our request for immediate action, as they are the ones doing the heavy lifting here, quite literally. The emergency dredge of Lake Montauk Inlet is not just about accessible waterways, it’s about maritime safety preserving our commercial fishing industry and local economy.”

Outside the news conference, Democrats picketed LaLota’s appearance in the latest in a series of protests calling on the congressman to hold a local public event to answer questions from constituents concerned about President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut federal funding and dismantle federal agencies.

The dredging project will also support beach nourishment and erosion control, helping to protect Montauk’s coastline, officials added.

“This is an investment in both our economy and our environment,” East Hampton Councilwoman Cate Rogers said. “By restoring safe passage through Montauk Inlet, we are strengthening our local fishing industry while also reinforcing our coastal resilience efforts.”

Local officials maintained that the project was about more than just moving sand.

“Montauk Inlet is more than just a waterway,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “It is the beating heart of our local fishing industry, a vital link to our maritime economy, and a gateway for both commercial and recreational boaters. For generations, our fishing fleet has been at the heart of our community, and we have fought hard to ensure they have the safe access they deserve. The start of dredging is a significant step toward protecting this critical industry and the families who depend on it.”