Plan to clear channel dredges up obstacles

Boaters beware.

That's the warning a Lindenhurst neighborhood is sending out as it awaits dredging in a channel off the Great South Bay residents say has become a hazard to boaters.

The waterway, which boat owners on several canals use to access the bay, runs around the northeast rim of Indian Island, a Suffolk County nature preserve. Over the last few years, residents said, winter storms have brought sand to the inlet, narrowing the channel between the island and residents' docks. Now, they said, only one boat can safely pass at a time, and during medium tide, even this task can be tricky.

Residents said they have asked officials for dredging for years but have received "the runaround." Now the situation has become critical, they said, with the water depth at an estimated four feet during medium tide, two feet during low tide.

"It's not manageable," said resident Dawn Masterson, 42. "It's a hazard and it's going to get to a point where someone is going to get hurt."

In 2008, the county's department of public works applied to the state Department of Environmental Conservation for a dredging permit as part of a project at nearby Strongs Creek, said Bill Hillman, public works chief engineer.

But in reviewing the application, Hillman said, the DEC had questions that could only be answered by the channel's owner, Babylon Town. Those questions were given to the town in November 2008, he said, but never answered. He said the county never followed up, citing limited staff and the overseeing of nearly 400 dredge locations countywide.

Town spokesman Tim Ruggeri said the town was unaware of any outstanding obligation and would investigate.

State and federal agencies only allow dredging from October to January. Even with a permit, Hillman said he is unsure the dredging could be done this year, or if funding would be available for the project, which he estimated to cost $400,000.

Residents also worry about their boats. Running aground can cause engines to suck in silt, they said, resulting in damage costing thousands of dollars.

Those with homes by the channel are also concerned. Leon Strobel's docked boat was hit twice last year by those trying to navigate the slim passageway. Neighbor Gary Mancuso, 39, said he is so worried about his boat that he's been waiting to put it in, especially after his dock pole was hit by a passing boat on Memorial Day.

Resident George Kreppein, 49, estimates as many as 200 boaters pass through the channel each Sunday, many unfamiliar with the tapered channel. "It's only a matter of time before something bad happens."

Some residents are asking for caution signs to be erected. Ruggeri said signs may require a DEC permit, adding that the town now is looking into placing hazard buoys at the spot.

Residents said a few more storms might close the channel completely.

"Everyone's passing the buck," Masterson said. "But the bottom line is it's dangerous and something has to be done."