Coastal Erosion

What is the extent of New York's coastline?

New York State's coastline consists of the lands adjacent to lakes Erie and Ontario, the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers, the Hudson River south of the federal dam at Troy, the East River, the Harlem River, the Kill van Kull and Arthur Kill, Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, and their connecting water bodies, bays, harbors, shallows and marshes.

Image of coastline

What is coastal erosion?

Coastal erosion is a natural phenomenon, an endless redistribution process that continually changes beaches, dunes and bluffs. Waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, ice, rainwater runoff and groundwater seepage all move sand and water along the coast. Human activities, such as construction, boating and recreation can accelerate erosion of sandy beaches, dunes, and bluffs.

What role do natural features have in the erosion process?

Although beaches, dunes, bluffs, nearshore areas and vegetation are subject to the forces of erosion, they also protect shoreland and inland areas from wind and water erosion and storm induced high water. Beaches, dunes and bluffs buffer and protect shorelands from erosion by absorbing the wave energy of open water. Dunes and bluffs are especially effective against storm-induced high water. They are also reservoirs of sand and gravel for beaches and offshore sandbar and shoal formations.

Why are we concerned about erosion?

Loss or displacement of land along the State's coastline occurs naturally and will continue to do so despite our best efforts to prevent it. When this natural process destroys houses, buildings and roads; when it ruins wastewater collection systems and contaminates drinking water supplies; and when it interferes with public power supplies and paralyzes communities, it becomes a major threat to human life and property. Human activities associated with day-to-day living tend to accelerate erosion processes in some places.

Certain sections of New York's coastline are especially vulnerable to erosion through natural actions of adjacent waterbodies and through human activities. In these areas, erosion causes extensive damage to public and private property and to natural resources and endangers human lives. Significant economic losses to individuals, private businesses and the state's economy have been the result. Coastal erosion damage has necessitated large public expenditures to remove debris and ruined structures and to replace essential public facilities and services.

How can this kind of damage be prevented?

This type of threat to life and property can be minimized by regulation of land use, development, new construction or placement of structures, and by controlling construction of erosion protection structures in coastal areas designated as erosion hazard areas.

What is the Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas Act?

In 1972, Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act to conserve, develop and protect the nation's coastal resources. Program development funds were granted to coastal states for the preparation of state coastal management programs.

The Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas Act empowers the department to identify and map coastal erosion hazard areas and to adopt regulations to control certain activities and development in those areas. The backbone of these regulations is a permitting system aimed specifically at all proposed construction in erosion hazard areas. The construction or placement of a structure, or any action or use of land which materially alters the condition of land, including grading, excavating, dumping, mining, dredging, filling or any disturbance of soil is a regulated activity requiring a coastal erosion management permit- a written approval granted by DEC, or the county or local government, whichever had the jurisdiction.