Shinnecock Inlet
Encyclopedia
Shinnecock Inlet is the easternmost of five major inletshttp://www.nd.edu/~adcirc/shinnecock.htm connecting bays to the Atlantic Ocean
through the narrow 100-mile-long Outer barrier
that stretches from New York City
to Southhampton, New York
on the south shore of Long Island
. It splits Westhampton Island from the peninsula extending from Southampton Village. The name comes from the Shinnecock Indian Nation
.
The inlet was formed by the Great Hurricane of 1938 which killed several people when it permanently broke through the island in Hampton Bays, New York
.
Maintenance of the inlet has been controversial.
It saves boaters in the Hamptons several miles in access to the Atlantic Ocean. The inlet is almost directly lined up with the Shinnecock Canal
between Shinnecock Bay and the Peconic Bay
which allows a shortcut to the ocean for boaters on the north fork of Long Island.
Consequently management has been geared to keep the inlet dredged and open. However, the inlet has interrupted the flow of sand (which normally flows east to west) and consequently there has been major beach erosion on the west side of the inlet including the November 1992 Nor'easter
that wiped out much of West Hampton Dunes, New York
. The phenomenon is called longshore drift
.
Efforts to prevent erosion with groynes have just pushed the problems further and further east resulting in serious beach erosion problems on Fire Island. West Hampton Dunes
incorporated in 1993 specifically to have legal standing in the skirmishes with Corps of Engineers
regarding the practice. In 2010 the inlet was dredge and the sand deposited on the beach at Road K as part of the West of Shinnecock Inlet Interim Plan to replenish the sand.
The major inlets on the barrier beach are:
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
through the narrow 100-mile-long Outer barrier
Outer barrier
The outer barrier, also known as the Long Island and New York City barrier islands, refers to the string of barrier islands that divide the lagoons south of Long Island from the Atlantic Ocean....
that stretches from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Southhampton, New York
Southampton (town), New York
The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...
on the south shore of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. It splits Westhampton Island from the peninsula extending from Southampton Village. The name comes from the Shinnecock Indian Nation
Shinnecock Indian Nation
The Shinnecock Indian Nation is a federally recognized tribe, headquartered in Suffolk County, New York, on the south shore of Long Island. Shinnecock are an Algonquian people from Long Island...
.
The inlet was formed by the Great Hurricane of 1938 which killed several people when it permanently broke through the island in Hampton Bays, New York
Hampton Bays, New York
Hampton Bays is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 12,236 at the 2000 census.Hampton Bays is in the Town of Southampton.-Geography:...
.
Maintenance of the inlet has been controversial.
It saves boaters in the Hamptons several miles in access to the Atlantic Ocean. The inlet is almost directly lined up with the Shinnecock Canal
Shinnecock Canal
The Shinnecock Canal is a canal that cuts across the South Fork of Long Island at Hampton Bays, New York. At long, it connects Great Peconic Bay and the north fork of Long Island with Shinnecock Bay and the Atlantic Ocean...
between Shinnecock Bay and the Peconic Bay
Peconic Bay
The Peconic Bay is the parent name for two bays between the North Fork and South Fork of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It is separated from Gardiners Bay by Shelter Island....
which allows a shortcut to the ocean for boaters on the north fork of Long Island.
Consequently management has been geared to keep the inlet dredged and open. However, the inlet has interrupted the flow of sand (which normally flows east to west) and consequently there has been major beach erosion on the west side of the inlet including the November 1992 Nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
that wiped out much of West Hampton Dunes, New York
West Hampton Dunes, New York
West Hampton Dunes is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, U.S., on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 11 at the 2000 census, making it the least populated municipality in the state of New York.-History:...
. The phenomenon is called longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
.
Efforts to prevent erosion with groynes have just pushed the problems further and further east resulting in serious beach erosion problems on Fire Island. West Hampton Dunes
West Hampton Dunes, New York
West Hampton Dunes is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, U.S., on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 11 at the 2000 census, making it the least populated municipality in the state of New York.-History:...
incorporated in 1993 specifically to have legal standing in the skirmishes with Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
regarding the practice. In 2010 the inlet was dredge and the sand deposited on the beach at Road K as part of the West of Shinnecock Inlet Interim Plan to replenish the sand.
The major inlets on the barrier beach are:
- Rockaway InletRockaway InletRockaway Inlet is a strait connecting Jamaica Bay, wholly within New York City, with the Atlantic Ocean. It separates the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens from the Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn....
- East Rockaway InletEast Rockaway InletThe East Rockaway Inlet is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Rockaway Peninsula from the barrier island which includes the Nassau County, New York communities of Atlantic Beach, Long Beach and Lido Beach....
- Inlet - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=&vps=1&jsv=153e&sll=40.588187,-73.758082&sspn=0.022781,0.037208&g=East+Rockaway+Inlet&ie=UTF8&geocode=FZtTawIdfoqa-w&split=0 - Fire Island InletFire Island InletFire Island Inlet is an inlet on the south shore of Long Island, New York, USA.It connects the Great South Bay with the Atlantic Ocean, passing between Robert Moses State Park on the south and Oak Beach and Captree State Park on the north.The inlet is directly south of West Islip, the nearest...
- Moriches InletMoriches InletMoriches Inlet is an inlet connecting Moriches Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The name Moriches comes from Meritces, a Native American who owned land on Moriches Neck....
- Jones InletJones InletJones Inlet is located at the westernmost end of the long Jones Beach barrier island that runs along Long Island's south shore. The inlet separates Jones Beach State Park's West End from the community of Point Lookout and connects South Oyster Bay with the Atlantic Ocean...