The longterm effects of the groins that were installed at Georgica Pond have been debated for years now. A civil suit is currently being heard in federal court—and it could cost Suffolk County millions.
At issue: which way is the sand going? Convential wisdom has always held that the sands of Long Island are making a slow and steady drift west. (A few hundred thousand years from now, the drive out to Southampton from the city may be a lot shorter than it is today.) But in testimony heard before federal court today, an expert witness for Suffolk County said that, "a more complex analysis of sand movement along the shore shows that sand moves both east and west. Man-made structures are insignificant compared to the actual shape of the beach and the angle with which waves strike it."
Hmm. We're gonna have to scratch our heads over that one for a minute. Gary Ireland, who brought the suit and is claiming that the Georgica Groins are responsible for the erosion in front of his Southampton home, may not be satisfied with this answer, and we're betting he has an expert that will back up the east-to-west theory.
Check out the video below for Ireland's take on the situation, and stay tuned, because if Suffolk County loses this case, they're going to have to pay millions to pump sand back onto the beaches.
Expert says that rock walls did not cause erosion [Newsday]
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