The Mattituck Inlet is facing a dire situation that demands immediate attention from you, Congressman LaLota, your Congressional peers, and the Army Corps of Engineers. The inherent economic and environmental value of this area is under severe threat due to the erosion and potential breach caused by the existing jetty.

Mattituck Inlet serves as a vital resource for local communities, supporting businesses, livelihoods, and regional ecological habitats including habitat used by endangered species. However, the erosion caused by the jetty has become so extreme a catastrophic breach of the Inlet is possible; endangered species habitat has been destroyed and will soon be completely eliminated; Bailie Beach is nearly gone and adjacent property owners are impacted. A catastrophic breach could have irreversible consequences not just for the inlet itself, but for the wider Mattituck area's economy, property owners, and natural resources. Unless Bailie Beach is renourished soon, a breach is inevitable.
 
A maintenance dredge of the channel only was planned for this fall, but has been rescheduled until fall of 2026. This project will not meaningfully renourish Bailie Beach and will not address the ongoing damage caused by the jetty. An urgent expansion of the planned maintenance project is needed. We call on our representatives to prioritize emergency funding and collaborate closely with the Army Corps of Engineers to implement a comprehensive dredging and beach renourishment plan. Such a project would not only restore the channel's navigability but also safeguard Mattituck Inlet for another decade.

We the undersigned, as residents and stewards of this community, demand immediate action. Allocating emergency funds for this project is a decisive and critical step that will preserve Mattituck Inlet for future generations, protect our local economy, and maintain the ecological balance that is so essential to Southold’s natural landscape.

Please, Congressman LaLota, help your colleagues and the Army Corps to recognize the urgency of this situation and provide the critical emergency funding and expanded project planning at Mattituck Inlet. Let us work together for the betterment and safety of our cherished community.

Thank you, the undersigned: