Latest Army Corps Report Puts Rockaway Out of Focus

By Katie McFadden

Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released their first update to their New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study (HATS) in more than two years. They held virtual meetings on Wednesday, July 23, to discuss the latest on the report, which at the moment, leaves Rockaway out of the conversation.

In January 2023, USACE held public meetings to discuss its HATS report and Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, which was released in September 2022 in response to the study that began in 2016, following Hurricane Sandy. The massive report for flood mitigation options spanning from New York to New Jersey, took some local interest as some components would deeply impact the Rockaway peninsula. Among some of those options was a massive underwater storm surge barrier between Sandy Hook, N.J. and Breezy Point, making it the longest barrier in the world. It would cost $112 billion and take 32 years to make a reality. An option that was under serious consideration included eight large components, including a surge barrier, or sea gate, running across Jamaica Bay from Rockaway to Brooklyn to address bayside flooding. At a cost of $52.7 billion and a 14-year-timeline, this option was called the “most economically feasible” due to its net benefits.

However, after nearly three years of no action since that last report dropped in 2022, USACE is looking to move forward with some options that were under discussion, as time is of the essence, as is funding. But the latest report, released on July 24, puts any options that would impact Rockaway on the back burner.

As mentioned at the meeting, USACE is looking to do what they can now. “We’ve rescoped the study to focus on near term actionable elements,” an USACE representative said. “This pivot occurred because something small built soon is better than waiting for a larger project to be built later on.” This pivot is mostly due to a lack of funding to continue the larger study. “We’re waiting for funding to complete the overall comprehensive plan. We’re focusing on sites that meet criteria so we can make recommendations to Congress next year,” Danielle Tommaso, a planner in the NY District’s Planning Division, said. “That does not mean other sites are crossed off the list for consideration.”

With that said, the only options under consideration currently, as released in the latest update, are for East River in the Meadowlands of New Jersey, an area along the Harlem River and Oakwood Beach in Staten Island. With a short window to move things forward and present the recommendations to Congress for 2026, USACE is only accepting public comment on these proposals through August 25.

During the meeting, some questions were brought up regarding the proposals that would impact Rockaway. The Rockaway Times asked if the sea gate or surge barrier proposal for Jamaica Bay, running from Rockaway to Brooklyn, is something that will still be considered in the future. Olivia Cackler, Chief of the Plan Formulation Branch of USACE NY District, said, “It is definitely something that we are interested in looking at in the future. That is not the end of the Rockaway barrier. For some of our ongoing analyses, we’re being asked to consider how a smaller gate within Jamaica Bay would function if the Rockaway barrier were in place, as a modeling exercise. It is definitely still on the table.”

As for the massive barrier/ sea gate rom Sandy Hook to Breezy Point? Not so much. Another attendee asked about that element to which Cackler said, “Right now, I’m not going to say it’s completely screened out because we do consider higher rates of sea level rise for our future planning, however, considering all of the work that has gone into the region so far, from USACE and other partners, it looks like that large storm surge barrier is not going to be the best performer because it is protecting areas that have already received some form of risk management, so that’s why we’re proceeding with smaller, more localized solutions where we’re seeing more urgent need right now.”

For the latest on the study, check out: www.nan.usace.army.mil/NYNJHATS