Pushing Leaders for Support. We Need Your Help.

Our campaign to save the sand spit began on July 13, 2021, when the Ash Creek Conservation Association (ACCA) gave a talk to the public at the Fayerweather Yacht Club called “Our Disappearing Sand Spit” (you can see the presentation here). The talk explained the history of the erosion problems including the damage from the storms Irene and Sandy, the rising sea levels, and the dredging of the channel by Fairfield.

PRESENTATION TO BRIDGEPORT PARKS COMMISSION

We asked Mayor Ganim to address this issue and he referred us to the Parks Commission. ACCA gave a presentation on the erosion issues at the sand spit to the Parks Commission on August 10, 2021. The following day, August 11, 2021, ACCA met with the President of the Parks Commission, Banjed Labrador, and the Manager of the Parks Department, Luis Burgos, at the sand spit. Both the Parks Department and the Parks Commission were concerned about the erosion and urged the city to pay attention to this erosion issue in a letter from the Parks Commission to Jon Uriquidi, the City Engineer, on August 13, 2021.

MEETING WITH CT DEEP, FAIRFIELD & BRIDGEPORT

Our State Rep. Steve Stafstrom and Fairfield’s State Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey organized a Zoom meeting on September 8, 2021 with 27 people, including the CT DEEP, Fairfield, and Bridgeport officials.  The CT DEEP is clearly concerned about the erosion in the tidal estuary and want to study the area before approving a restoration project.  A proper restoration project will 2-3 years by the time it is funded, and, of course, during that period one big storm could destroy the sand spit.  They will consider reducing the dredging permit from a 10 year permit to a 5 year permit.  They will also consider the placement of the dredged material back onto the sand spit or the tidal wetlands instead of Jennings Beach, but only after they understand the way the sand is moving in the ecosystem.

Bridgeport still remains a passive player on this issue.  Jon Uriquidi, the City Engineer, was on the call, as were Luis Burgos and Steve Hladun from the Parks Department. 

 MEETING WITH THE TOWN OF FAIRFIELD

ACCA met with Tim Bishop, the new Conservation Director, and Bill Hurley, the Town Engineer on September 14, 2021 with our expert, Bryan Quinn of One Nature, LLC to find out Fairfield’s remediation plans for the sand spit for the damage from their 2019 dredging operation. A number of other town officials were present as well as the town’s dredging consultant, RACE Coastal Engineering. First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick joined the meeting near the end of the meeting. Everything had been done within the CT DEEP permit, so Fairfield is not required to do any remediation. They are concerned about the erosion in the tidal estuary and want to help, so they are willing to stop putting the dredged material on Jennings Beach and put it back on the sand spit or Great Marsh Island. They are open to considering smaller, but more frequent dredgings so that we can put the dredged material in a thin layer on the sand spit and the marsh in such a way that the vegetation can grow up through it. Fairfield agreed to purchase and install 42,000 plugs of American Beach grass if Bridgeport will share the cost. We need to encourage Mayor Ganim to work with Fairfield on this project.

MEETING WITH CIRCA

Brian Thompson, the Director of CT DEEP’s Land and Water Resources Division, who was in the Zoom meeting offered to help connect ACCA (Ash Creek Conservation Association) with the Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) and find funding sources for the restoration.  As a result, we now have a Zoom meeting with the CT DEEP, the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG), and CIRCA.  A Zoom meeting was held on September 16, 2021. The CT DEEP and CIRCA thought that the plan for 42,000 plugs of American Beach grass to be planted on the sand spit was a good interim plan to save the sand spit from storm wash overs. CIRCA will get back to us in a few weeks with recommendations for studies, restoration strategies, and funding opportunities.

MEETING WITH MetroCOG

ACCA gave a presentation to the CTAC Committee of MetroCOG on September 20th. Nineteen of the 50 committee members were present, but the presentation along with the sand spit analysis was sent out to all 50 committee members after the meeting. MetroCOG can be very helpful in finding sources of funding for the large-scale restoration project to restore the sand spit.

NEXT STEPS

Fairfield and Bridgeport will be meeting on October 6th to discuss the erosion on the sand spit.  We are hoping that Bridgeport will agree to cost sharing for the 42,000 plugs of American Beach grass.

Please encourage Mayor Ganim to work with the Town of Fairfield on the interim plan of planting 42,000 plugs of American Beach grass and committing to working with the Town of Fairfield, CT DEEP, CIRCA, and MetroCOG on a long term plan for restoration of the sand spit, which likely will require going after federal funds. 

You can email Mayor Ganim at Mayor@bridgeportct.gov   Thank you.