Lake Montauk dredging raises safety issues

Lights are being put up at the inlet to Lake Montauk to make it safer for boats to navigate an area being dredged to ease passage through the narrow channel to Block Island Sound.

The dredge pipe in the inlet, used by commercial and recreational boats, broke from its anchor a week ago, and several boats have struck it. Officials are working on reanchoring it to the bottom of the inlet channel.

Town officials and fishermen met Monday with representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard to discuss the dredging operation and other issues. As a result, federal officials agreed to change the way accidents are reported. Currently, problems can be reported to various agencies, which don't always pass the information along in a timely manner. Going forward, a project manager will coordinate complaints.

"We got some protocols straightened out," said East Hampton Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson.

Rick Etzel, who runs a 43-foot charter fishing boat out of Montauk, said he struck the pipe and damaged a propeller last week as he was slowly going through the inlet. He was able to complete the trip and said he will file a claim for repairs. Etzel said he was satisfied with the Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' response to complaints.

Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) worked to get the $414,590 project advanced from its original 2013 start date.

The dredging work, which began last month, involves removing 16,000 cubic yards of sand from the channel, and is about a quarter done, Wilkinson said. It is expected to last until Thanksgiving.