Buoy Deployment and Maintenance
Navigational aids are a large part of the Department’s efforts at maintaining public safety. The many winding navigational channels and shallow waters make for a challenging environment for safe boating. Rising to the challenge, Conservation and Waterways has permits from the US Coast Guard to place one of the largest arrays of non-federal navigational aids in the USA, more than even maintained by NY State. While NY State does maintain most of the markers on Reynolds Channel, Sloop Channel, and the State Boat Channel further east, and the US Coast Guard maintains markers in East Rockaway Inlet and Jones Inlet, Hempstead’s Conservation and Waterways Department maintains over 400 markers along Town channels and even some critical locations bordering the State and Federal channels. Most of the Town’s markers are floating buoys that must be pulled every fall, refurbished every winter, and reinstalled early every spring. This huge task is performed by our Waterways Division located in Freeport. The US Coast Guard checks the location of ⅓ of the markers each year, reports discrepancies, and forwards citizen reports that require prompt action. Keeping markers at the charted locations is a constant challenge, with damage from boat strikes and storm-moved markers frequently occurring during the boating season. Erosion and shifting shoals add another challenge that require new federally permitted positions to continue the marking of best water for public safety.
