Coastal Management

New York State coastal waters:

• Lake Erie and the Niagara River;
• Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River;
• Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound;
• Hudson River south of the federal dam in Troy;
• East River and Harlem River;
• Kill van Kull and Arthur Kill; and
• all connecting water bodies, bays, harbors, shallows, and wetlands.

These coastal areas are at risk to coastal erosion from natural and human activities. DEC has mapped coastal erosion hazard areas which include:

• Lake Erie
• Lake Ontario
• Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound

Access mapped CEHA areas by county. These areas need a Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) permit (Article 34 Part 505).

New York State prevents and reduces coastal erosion by:

• promoting natural protective features including dunes, bluffs, and beaches;
• restricting or prohibiting activities or development in natural protective feature areas;
• ensuring new construction is a safe distance from the impact of coastal storms;
• regulating construction of coastal erosion protection including natural protective features;
• restricting public-funded projects which encourage permanent development in coastal erosion hazard areas;
• Public funded coastal erosion protection projects need to:
  • Mitigate coastal erosion damage where necessary to protect human life;
  • Prove the public benefit, of such structures, outweighs the public expenditures;
  • Establishing procedural standards for local program implementation;
  • Create standards for coastal erosion management permits (Part 505).

Managing Coastal Areas

Some of New York's coastline are especially vulnerable to coastal erosion. This erosion happens through natural actions and human activities. Erosion is the loss or displacement of land along the coastline.

Coastline erosion happens due to:

• the action of waves;
• currents or tides;
• wind-driven water;
• waterborne ice;
• or other impacts of storms;
• wind;
• runoff of surface waters; or
• groundwater seepage.

Vulnerable coastal erosion areas cause extensive damage. This damage includes property and natural resources, and endangers human lives. There are significant economic losses to individuals, private businesses and the state's economy. Coastal erosion damage is expensive. Large amounts of public funds are used to remove debris and ruined structures. This includes replacing essential public facilities and services after storm damage.

The management of coastal erosion hazard areas helps to protect:

• coastal habitat areas;
• inland natural resources;
• homes and businesses; and
• communities from wind and water erosion, including storm-induced high water.