Dedication Of Hashamomuck Marine Waterway Access Site - The Fisherman

Dedication Of Hashamomuck Marine Waterway Access Site

On April 29th, the NYSDEC announced the official reopening the only public, free boat launch site to Peconic Bay. A ceremony took place where DEC Regional Director Cathy Haas, DEC Division of Marine Resources Assistant Director Dawn McReynolds, members of the Reiter family, local and State elected officials, and additional partners attended.

The Hashamomuck Marine Waterway Access Site is a 3.2-acre waterfront property located at 750 Old Main Road, Southold, and now includes a public boat ramp, canoe and kayak launch, accessible pathway, and 37-vehicle parking lot for 31 trailers and six cars. These amenities are universally accessible and available to the public free of charge. A boat pump-out station, washdown station, and additional plantings will be added to the site later this year.

DEC purchased the Southold property, formerly known as The Old Barge Restaurant, in 2012 from the Reiter family of Mattituck. The purchase and construction was funded with a Sport Fish Restoration Program grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), matched by State funding. In addition, a generous charitable donation from the Carl D. and Helen Reiter and Reiter-Denson families helped DEC acquire the parcel.

“My brother, Dan Reiter, and I are extremely pleased that the State of New York and its Department of Environmental Conservation have made it possible to transform our property from one that was, for nearly three quarters of a century, a commercial seafood restaurant to a property having a much broader scale of application,” Carol Denson, former manager of the property for the Reiter family, said. “The Hashamomuck Marine Waterway Access Site will create public boating access to Long Island’s abundant natural resources on the Peconic Bay. We believe that this shift in focus is in alignment with the values held by our parents, Carl D. and Helen Reiter. They treasured, respected and nurtured the marine environment of this community. We further believe that this action, by the State will sustain the importance of this community’s marine heritage.”

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proud to partner with DEC’s Division of Marine Resources, along with boaters and anglers on the Hashamomuck Marine Waterway Access Site,” stated Bill Perry, who coordinates grants for boating access, boating infrastructure, and the National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant Program for the USFWS’s North Atlantic-Appalachian Region. “This site will provide free public access to the waters of Long Island and New York State. Thanks to excise taxes on fishing tackle, motorboat fuel, and small engines, which pay into the Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund, the Boating Access program provided over $2 million in federal funds to this fantastic project. This site becomes one of only five state-owned and managed facilities that provide access to the waters around Long Island. These areas are critical access points for the public to be able to boat, fish, and connect with nature.”

Southold Town Supervisor Scott A. Russell said, “This marine waterway access site allows residents the opportunity to fully enjoy our water bodies especially the Peconic Bay. What this new facility offers is astonishing and we are proud to serve as host. We owe a debt of gratitude to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for taking a vision and making it a reality.”

Related