Loading...
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Home
My WebLink
About
2015 Dredge Site Habitat Assessment
!! 2015 Dredge Site Habitat Assessment !Town!of!Southold!–!Beach2Dependent!Species!Management!Program! NYS!DEC!Piping!Plover!and!Least!Tern!Site!Monitoring! __________________________________! ! ! ! !!!!!! !!!!!! !! ! ! Prepared By: Aaron Virgin and Christine Tylee September!2015! ! ! ! ! 2! ! Background! The!following!16!sites!were!visited!and!evaluated!during!the!2015!breeding!season! (April!1!–!August!15),!as!requested!by!the!Town!of!Southold.!!Utilizing!field!observations! and!multiyear!Google!Earth®!satellite!images!taken!on!4/1/04!and!6/19/14!(no!images! for!2015!are!currently!available),!each!site!is!compared!and!contrasted!over!a!102year! period.!This!report!has!been!generated!to!aid!Southold!Town!in!making!future! recommendations!on!the!dredging!priorities!of!the!16!sites,!and!how!such!activities!can! have!beneficial!results!for!improving!beach2nesting!bird!habitat.!Sites!have!been! grouped!by!High!Priority!and!Low!Priority!status!to!indicate!which!areas!need!the!most! attention.!In!addition,!the!following!factors!were!used!to!make!recommendations:!!!! • Amount!of!sandy!beach!and!suitable!nesting!habitat!above!the!mean!high!tide! mark;! • Area!of!foraging!habitat!for!breeding,!transient!and!wintering!beach2dependent! bird!species;!!! • Proximity!to!homes!and/or!recreational!areas,!e.g.!heavy!watercraft!use,!beach! bathing,!fishing,!dog!walking,!etc.;! • Presence!or!absence!of!nesting!and/or!foraging!PIPL!and!LETE!in!past!surveys.!! ! ! Dredge!Site! Suitable!! Nesting!! Habitat! Suitable!! Foraging!! Habitat! Nesting! PIPL!! 2015! Nesting! PIPL!!!! 2009?‘14! Nesting! LETE!! 2015! Nesting! LETE!!!! 2009?‘14! NYS!DEC! Monitored! Sites! 1. Brushes!Creek!!!!!!!! 2. Cedar!Beach!Creek!!!!!!!!!!!*! 3. Corey!Creek!!!!!!!! 4. Deep!Hole!Creek!!!!!!!! 5. Goldsmith!Inlet!!!!!!!! 6. Goose!Creek!!!!!!!! 7. Halls!Creek!!!!!!!! 8. James!Creek!!!!!!!! 9. Little!Creek!!!!!!!! 10. Mud!Creek!!!!!!!! 11. Richmond!Creek!!!!!!!! 12. School!House!Creek!!!!!!!! 13. Sterling!Harbor!!!!!!!! 14. Town!Creek!!!!!!!! 15. West!Creek!!!!!!!! 16. Wickham!Creek!!!!!!!! ! ! ! *!Monitored)by)Suffolk)County)Parks! ! ! ! 3! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 4! ! High!Priority!Sites! Cedar!Beach!Creek! This!site!continues!to!host!multiple!pairs!of!PIPL!and!a!small!LETE!colony.!While!this!site!is! not!routinely!monitored!under!the!Town’s!existing!contract!(monitored!by!Suffolk!County! Parks),!at!least!two!PIPL!pairs!utilized!this!site!in!2015,!and!several!pairs!of!LETE!were! noted!in!the!vicinity.!As!previously!reported,!the!orientation!to!prevailing!winds!and!bay! currents,!as!well!as!past!dredging!activities!have!created!a!breeding!sanctuary!to!PIPL!and! LETE,!as!well!as!transient!Red!Knots!and!Roseate!Terns,!two!species!in!peril,!and!more!than! a!dozen!other!shorebird!and!tern!species.!Of!interest!is!the!comparison!of!the!developing! shoreline!in!’04!with!the!more!established!section!in!’14.!This!has!led!to!high!breeding! success!at!the!site!and!is!directly!related!proper!placement!of!dredge!material.!!! Recommendation!–!if!dredging!occurs!in!2016,!continue!placing!dredge!material!to!the! northeast!of!the!inlet!to!continue!providing!excellent!nesting!habitat!for!PIPL!and!LETE.!! 4/04!! ! 6/14!! Developing!shoreline! Established!shoreline! ! ! 5! ! Corey!Creek! As!in!2014,!this!site!was!an!active!breeding!site!for!PIPL.!!In!2015,!there!were!two!nests! observed,!which!were!likely!two!different!pairs!since!a!total!of!eight!eggs!were!laid.!!Unlike! last!year,!one!chick!made!it!to!the!fledgling!stage.!Both!nesting!attempts!occurred!within! private!property!just!east!of!the!South!Harbor!Town!Beach.!As!noted!below,!the!western! side!of!the!channel!has!experienced!slight!erosion!during!the!past!decade,!whereas!through! littoral!drift!and!dredging!practices,!the!eastern!side!(“Takapoosha”!section)!has!undergone! a!modest!expansion!of!the!viable!nesting!area.!! Recommendation!–!continue!placing!dredge!material!east!of!the!channel!to!increase!beach2 nesting!habitat!above!high!tide.! 4/04!! ! 6/14!!! ! ! ! ! ! Western!side!prior!to! erosion! Expanded!nesting!area! ! ! 6! ! Goldsmith!Inlet! The!only!dredge!site!on!the!north!shore!of!Southold!Town,!Goldsmith!Inlet!and!the!beaches! to!the!northeast!–!Kenney’s!and!McCabe’s!–!continue!to!attract!breeding!PIPL!and!LETE.! The!former!had!no!fewer!than!three!nest!attempts,!with!a!total!of!three!fledglings!during! the!season.!These!were!all!at!Kenney’s!Beach.!While!LETE!did!not!nest,!up!to!20!individuals! were!observed!from!late!May!through!mid!July.!No!nest!attempts!were!observed!at! McCabe’s!Beach,!however!Common!Terns!were!often!observed!loafing.!At!the!third! observation!location!–!west!of!the!Inlet!proper!and!adjacent!to!the!rock!jetty!–!a!single!PIPL! was!observed!in!July,!but!no!nesting!ensued.!Of!note,!a!Killdeer!pair!had!a!clutch!of!four! eggs!that!hatched!in!mid2July,!which!was!located!on!dredge!material!places!in!2005/06.!!!!!! Recommendation!–!continue!placing!dredge!material!east!of!the!inlet!as!in!previous!years! (see!below).!! ! 4/04!! ! 6/14!! ! Slight!erosion!due!to! western!placement!of! dredge!material!! Shoreline!more! defined!due!to!324! years!of!dredge! placement! ! ! 7! ! Little!Creek! This!site!continues!to!be!a!wild!card,!as!during!each!of!the!past!four!years!there!were! different!breeding!outcomes!for!PIPL!and!LETE.!This!year,!two!LETE!pairs!bred! successfully!on!the!south!side!of!the!creek!channel.!There!had!been!a!single!PIPL!seen!in! June!and!early!July,!but!no!sign!of!a!second!bird!or!any!evidence!of!nesting!was!observed.! Also!noted!in!2014,!the!northern!side!of!the!inlet!continues!to!lose!lower!beach!habitat,! despite!the!areas!indicated!in!the!two!maps!below!that!show!increased!upper!dune!beach! habitat!due!to!Superstorm!Sandy!(10/12)! Recommendation!–!As!noted!in!prior!reports,!and!due!to!the!extensive!work!conducted!in! 2013!to!address!erosion!issues!south!of!the!creek!channel,!it!is!highly!recommended!to! place!dredge!material!north!of!the!channel,!where!PIPL!nested!in!2012!and!2013.!!! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! Areas!that!benefited! from!placement!of! dredge!material!in! ’12!and!‘13!! Nesting!habitat! created!by! Superstorm!Sandy!!! Pre2Superstorm! Sandy!!! ! ! 8! ! Mud!Creek! The!magic!that!occurred!(a!full!clutch!of!four!PIPL!chicks)!at!Haywaters!Beach!–!southeast! of!the!channel!–!in!2014!did!not!occur!again!this!breeding!season.!Despite!weekly!visits!and! preseason!string!fence,!no!nesting!PIPL!or!nesting!LETE!were!observed!at!the!site.!The!pair! of!PIPL!that!nested!at!nearby!Meadow!Beach!may!have!been!related!to!the!pair!nesting! here!in!2013.!! Recommendation!–!future!dredge!efforts!should!place!material!to!the!southeast!of!the! channel!to!maintain!and!possibly!expand!nesting!habitat,!as!noted!in!the!4/04!map!below.!! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! Extensive!nesting! extending!into! Cutchogue!Harbor! Suitable!habitat! diminishing! ! ! 9! ! Richmond!Creek! PIPL!activity!increased!at!this!site!after!an!uneventful!2014!season.!While!the!Richmond! Creek!nest!site,!i.e.!south!and!southwest!of!the!inlet,!has!not!been!a!viable!nesting!location,! the!area!to!the!east!of!the!inlet,!i.e.!South!Harbor!Town!Beach,!has!been!very!active!in! recent!years.!Despite!unleashed!dogs,!natural!predation!(crow,!fox,!gull,!raccoon),!beach! bathers,!and!boaters!coming!on!shore,!PIPL!activity,!as!well!as!transient!shorebirds! (Sanderling,!Ruddy!Turnstone)!has!held!on!due!to!suitable!nesting!and!foraging!habitat.!! Recommendation!–!as!recommended!in!2013!and!2014,!placement!of!future!dredge! material!on!South!Harbor!will!continue!to!allow!the!beach!east!of!the!inlet!to!build!and! expand,!thus!providing!excellent!nesting!habitat.!!!!!!!! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! Limited!nesting! habitat! Nesting!habitat! increased!due!to! dredge!placement! ! ! 10! Low!Priority!Sites! ! Brushes!Creek! As!noted!in!prior!reports,!multiple!groins!and!bulkheads!are!extensive!at!this!site.!On! multiple!visits,!PIPL!and!LETE!were!not!observed,!which!is!consistent!with!prior!years.! Other!shorebirds!were!noted!(Willet,!Greater!Yellowlegs,!Sanderling),!as!the!site!does! feature!adequate!foraging!habitat.!While!the!shoal!that!had!formed!in!the!channel!was! removed!in!2013,!the!material!did!not!result!in!improved!nesting!habitat.!Also!of!note,!an! extensive!bulkhead!exists!northeast!of!the!channel,!which!diminishes!beach2nesting!habitat! while!likely!increasing!erosion!rates!down!drift.!! Recommendation!–!none!at!this!time.!! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! Extensive!bulkhead! diminishing!beach2 nesting!habitat! Shoal!removed!in! 2013!helped! improve!flow!of! channel!but!did!not! increase!habitat! ! ! 11! ! Deep!Hole!Creek! Very!limited!beach2nesting!habitat!permeates!at!this!site!due!to!an!adjacent!bulkhead.! Severe!erosion!and!scouring,!noted!in!prior!reports,!has!occurred!from!storm!events!and! wave!movement!coming!off!the!adjacent!bulkhead.!Adding!dredge!material!to!the!east!of! the!Deep!Creek!channel!opening!will!likely!result!in!the!material!entering!Halls!Creek!(see! Halls!Creek!site!section),!immediately!to!the!east.!Similar!to!2013!and!2014,!PIPL!were!not! observed!during!site!visits!but!LETE!were!occasionally!observed!foraging!in!the!area,!as! were!Common!Terns.!!! Recommendation!–!any!future!dredging!efforts!must!take!into!account!impacts!on!Halls,! Downs,!and!West!creeks!to!the!east.!! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! Bulkhead!has!led!to! scouring!to!the!east! More!established! beach!that!is!not! heavily!eroded! ! ! 12! ! Goose!Creek! Were!it!not!for!the!popularity!of!this!site!2!beach!bathers,!dog!walkers,!and!kite!flyers!to! name!a!few!–!this!Town!Beach!could!be!a!popular!destination!with!PIPL!and!LETE,!as!well! as!Common!Tern!and!American!Oystercatcher.!As!noted!in!prior!years,!a!large! concentration!of!Herring!Gulls!and!several!Great!Black2backed!Gulls!have!been!present! during!the!breeding!season!(not!breeders!themselves)!and!this!is!likely!another!factor!in! discouraging!PIPL!and!LETE!from!nesting!at!the!site.!Observations!from!2014!and!again!in! 2015!noted!that!the!channel!remains!quite!deep!from!previous!dredging!activities.!! Recommendation!–none!at!this!time.! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! Prior!channel! sedimentation! Improved!flow!due! to!dredging!in!2013! ! ! 13! ! Halls!Creek! The!contrast!from!2004!and!2014!at!this!site!is!the!most!significant!of!the!16!areas!visited! in!2015.!Since!the!dredging!in!2013,!the!channel!into!Halls!Creek!has!remained!open!and! clear!for!navigation.!As!noted!previously,!while!sedimentation!has!stabilized!within! sections!of!the!groins!to!the!east,!a!greater!amount!has!drifted!towards!Downs!Creek!(not! one!of!the!sites!featured!in!this!report)!due!to!bulkheads!to!the!west!of!the!Downs!Creek.! Furthermore,!shoaling!has!occurred!at!Downs!Creek,!no!doubt!related!to!dredging!activities! at!Halls!Creek.!Sightings!of!PIPL!and!LETE!occurred!at!Downs!Creek,!but!not!at!this!site!in! 2015.!! Recommendation!–!any!future!dredging!activities!must!take!into!account!the!eventual! buildup!of!dredge!material!along!Downs!Creek!to!the!immediate!east.!Even!though!Downs! is!not!a!navigational!creek,!the!ecological!impacts!from!limiting!or!all!together!preventing! the!flow!into!Peconic!Bay!would!greatly!harm!this!highly!functioning!saltmarsh!ecosystem.!!!! 4/04!! 6/14!! Improved!flow!due!to! previous!dredging! activities!! Sedimentation!of! channel!and!large! alluvial!fan! ! ! 14! ! James!Creek! Unlike!Halls!Creek,!this!site!has!undergone!very!little!change!over!the!past!decade.!James! Creek!is!a!very!active!waterway!due!to!an!established!marina!further!inland.!As!noted!in! previous!reports,!the!presence!of!multiple!groins!and!bulkheads!at!this!site!do!not!provide! adequate!nesting!habitat!for!PIPL!and!LETE.!Once!again,!LETE!were!seen!foraging!on!site! visits,!but!PIPL!were!not.!! Recommendation!–!none!at!this!time! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! ! Extensive!groins!and! bulkheads!to!the!east! Very!active!waterway! due!to!marina!and! consistent!dredging! ! ! 15! ! School!House!Creek! Similar!to!James!Creek,!this!site!features!an!equally!impressive!and!most!active!marina.! Likewise,!bulkheads,!docks!and!rock!revetments!exist!(most!prior!to!2004)!adjacent!to!the! channel!opening!and!limit!the!areas!where!dredge!material!can!be!placed,!this!reducing!the! likelihood!that!improved!beach2nesting!habitat!can!therefore!be!created.!Not!surprisingly,! neither!PIPL!nor!LETE!was!observed!during!site!visits!in!2015.!! Recommendation!–!none!at!this!time.!!!!!!!! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! ! ! Shore!hardening! (bulkheads,!rock! revetments)!and! docks!limit!breeding! Very!active!waterway! due!to!marina!and! consistent!dredging! ! ! 16! ! Sterling!Harbor! Continuing!the!theme!as!the!previous!two!sites!(James!Creek,!Schoolhouse!Creek),!Sterling! Harbor!is!the!most!active!marina!on!the!North!Fork!in!the!only!village!in!Southold!Town.! Due!to!this!high!activity!in!a!confined!area,!as!well!as!a!more!desirable!breeding!habitat! roughly!500!yards!to!the!southeast!(Gull!Pond!West!town!beach)!for!both!PIPL!and!LETE,! the!Sterling!Harbor!site!has!consistently!not!featured!breeding!or!transient!birds.!As!noted! previously,!boat!traffic!(wave!action!in!particular)!and!people!exploring!the!peninsula!are! two!major!limiting!factors!in!allowing!this!site!to!be!a!potential!breeding!area.!!! Recommendation!–!none!at!this!time.! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! Developing!peninsula! nearly!10!years!ago! and!thinner!beach! Peninsula!more! defined!and!beach! leveling,!however! waves!(from!boats)! create!large!slope! ! ! 17! ! Town!Creek! Unique!of!the!16!sites!described!in!this!report,!Town!Creek!lacks!viable!nesting!habitat!due! to!multiple!docks,!bulkheads,!and!invasive!species.!It!also!exists!at!the!confluence!of!several! active!waterways!and!is!impacted!by!wave!action!and!boat!traffic.!A!potentially!viable! breeding!and!foraging!area!is!a!popular!town!beach,!Founder’s!Landing,!however!this!is! wildly!popular!with!Town!residents,!much!like!nearby!Goose!Creek.!Therefore,!it!was!not! surprising!that!no!PIPL!or!LETE!were!seen!on!any!site!visits!in!2015.!! Recommendation!–!none!at!this!time! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! ! Shore!hardening! (jetty!and!bulkheads)! and!docks!eliminate! good!nesting!and! foraging!habitat! Founder’s!Landing!–! the!only!potentially! viable!area!at!the!site! for!breeding!PIPL!and! LETE! ! ! 18! ! West!Creek! As!the!most!eastern!bay!inlet!in!Cutchogue,!West!Creek!is!greatly!impacted!by!the!natural! littoral!drift!that!occurs!in!the!Peconics,!especially!due!to!the!creek!opening’s!western! orientation.!Another!factor!impacting!West!Creek!are!the!dredge!management!activities!at! Deep!Hole,!Halls,!and!potentially!at!Downs!creeks.!Any!management!decisions!for!this!site! should!take!into!account!activities!at!the!three!to!the!immediate!west.!In!2015,!as!in! previous!years,!LETE!were!noted!foraging!in!the!bay!on!nearly!all!visits.!! Recommendation!–!continue!placing!dredge!material!on!the!beach!to!the!east!of!the! Kimogener!Point!bulkhead!to!improve!potential!beach2nesting!bird!habitat!!! 4/04!! 6/14!! ! Expanding!beach!due! to!accretion!behind! the!bulkhead!and! placement!of!dredge! material! Extensive!sand!bar! and!shoal!that!occurs! over!a!period!of!425! years! ! ! 19! ! Wickham!Creek! This!is!the!tale!of!two!sites.!Similar!to!Schoolhouse!Creek!to!the!south,!Wickham!Creek! features!an!active!marina!of!modest!size.!In!2004!a!larger!beachfront!existed!north!of!the! channel!opening,!which!may!have!resulted!from!prior!dredge!placement.!Superficially!it! appears!that!this!was!good!foraging!and!possibly!nesting!habitat,!although!the!overall!size! appears!too!small!for!the!latter.!In!2014,!this!section!of!beach!has!been!heavily!eroded.!! Recommendation!–!future!dredge!material!(channel!sedimentation!and!sand!spur)!should! be!placed!to!the!south!of!the!creek.!!! 4/04!! 6/14!! Sand!spur!should!be! removed!and!placed! to!the!south!to!help! improve!nesting! habitat! Previously!a!larger! beachfront;!well2 defined!channel!due! to!active!dredging!!