Jones Inlet facts for kids
Jones Inlet is a natural waterway located at the western end of Jones Beach Island. This island is a long, narrow strip of land, about 17-mile (27 km) long, that runs along the south shore of Long Island in New York. The inlet acts like a natural doorway, connecting South Oyster Bay on one side to the vast Atlantic Ocean on the other. It also separates the western part of Jones Beach State Park from the nearby community of Point Lookout, New York.
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What is an Inlet?
An inlet is a narrow strip of water that connects a larger body of water, like an ocean, to a smaller one, such as a bay or lagoon. Inlets are important for boats to travel between these different water areas. They also play a role in the movement of tides and marine life.
For many years, navigating through Jones Inlet has been quite tricky for boats. This is because the bottom of the inlet has constantly shifting sandbars and shallow areas. Imagine trying to steer a boat through a maze that keeps changing its paths! These conditions can make it dangerous for vessels, especially larger ones. In 2006, about 10,000 tons of commercial goods passed through this inlet.
Dredging for Safety
To make the inlet safer for boats, a process called dredging is often used. Dredging is like using a giant underwater vacuum cleaner to remove sand and mud from the bottom of the waterway. This makes the water deeper and helps create clear paths for boats to follow.
In 2008, the state of New York provided $7.6 million in funding for the United States Army Corps of Engineers to dredge Jones Inlet. This project had two main goals:
- To improve safety for boats by making the channels deeper.
- To use the removed sand to help protect the shoreline of Point Lookout.
Protecting the Shoreline
The sand that was dredged from the inlet was pumped onto the beach at Point Lookout. This helped to fight against coastal erosion, which is when waves and currents slowly wear away the sand from a beach. Adding new sand helps to build up the beach and protect the land behind it from storms and high tides. The inlet had also been dredged before, in 1995 and 1996, for similar reasons.
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard has a station located near the east side of Jones Inlet, on Jones Beach Island. The Coast Guard is a branch of the U.S. military that protects our waterways and helps people in trouble at sea. Their presence near the inlet helps ensure safety for all who use these waters.
