Beach Reclamation

In most reclamation projects, sand is taken from the bottom of the ocean and pumped back up onto the beach to replace sand that has been lost. Large machines, like giant vacuum cleaners, suck up sand and then the sand is pumped to the beach where it is used to rebuild the dunes. The Pines has undertaken reclamation projects a number of times.  The most recent was completed in 2009.  Today, a much larger reclamation effort than ever attempted in the past is underway—the FIMI (Fire Island to the Moriches Inlet) Stabilization Project.

The Army Corps of Engineers has started restoring Fire Island beaches from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.  FIMI engineers are working from both the eastern and western ends of Fire Island–and are now steadily approaching the Pines.  It is a slow moving and complicated process, but it has already reached from Robert Moses Park to Ocean Bay Park.  Onward east for the homestretch to the Pines and Davis Park!

Who knew?  There is even a Marine App "Marine Traffic" showing the dredging ship, Liberty Island, in action!

Once it reaches the Pines, it will create a dune line 15 feet high and over 100 yards wide by depositing over 3 million cubic yards in front of our homes.  With this new dune, larger than anything we have seen before, we believe the Fire Island environment will be protected for generations.  

We now expect the project equipment will hit the Pines' shores possibly as soon as mid-July 2019 and the dredged sand will be deposited rather quickly.  We are expecting two dredging ships. New beach access walks could start as soon as mid-June.   As we wait for FIMI’s completion the Seashore Defense Fund stands available to provide the emergency funding that will allow for immediate action if yet another catastrophe overtakes the Pines and its incomparable beaches.