State Expands LI's Artificial Reefs With Old Train Cars

LIDO BEACH, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo came to the South Shore today to oversee the start of the expansion of the largest artificial reef in state history off Long Island's shore. The state is dropping retired rail cars and boats into the water to expand the Hempstead Reef, which will improve the diversity of marine life in the area and help Long Island's recreational fishing industry.

The rail car that was dropped today was one of 75 that were donated by Wells Fargo Rail Corporation. The state also sunk a 70-foot steel tugboat named "Jane." As part of this first wave of reef expansion, the state is planning to drop 15 more rail cars and a steel turbine. The Hempstead Reef is a 744-acre site and is 3.3 nautical miles south of Jones Beach.

"This expansion of the state's artificial reef program is a testament to New York's unwavering commitment to environmental preservation and restoration in the absence of federal leadership that continues to jeopardize the health of vulnerable ecosystems," Cuomo said. "With this rail car and tugboat drop at Hempstead Reef, we continue to build on our efforts to energize local economies and build a healthier marine environment for future generations."

This is not the first time the state has expanded the reefs off Long Island's South Shore. In 2018, Cuomo directed that material leftover from the demolition of the Tappan Zee Bridge be deposited in the water to create artificial reefs, along with other old tugboats and barges. All of the deposits were cleaned of contaminants before being dropped into the water.

The material that the state deposited at the Hempstead Reef in 2018 included:

• 4.5 million pounds of material from the old Mill Basin Drawbridge, including the former drawbridge's gatehouse building, Pier 7, bridge support concrete, other decommissioned drawbridge buildings and concrete barriers
• 47 concrete-filled steel caissons measuring up to 34 feet in length that once supported the original City Island Bridge
• Tappan Zee Bridge material including concrete road deck panels, concrete substructure (columns and caps) and concrete pipe piles
• Two decommissioned Erie Canal vessels at 115 and 75 feet, respectively
• Two large NYPA turbine runners totaling 140 tons
• Four DOT bridge trusses
• Three barges of Tappan Zee Bridge material consisting of concrete decking, bridge supports and pipe piles

In his 2020 State of the State address, Cuomo committed to doubling New York's existing reef acreage by expanding seven of 12 existing sites and creating four new artificial reefs in Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. This expansion will be complete by 2022.

Once the deposited materials settle onto the ocean floor, they become home to larger fish, such as black sea bass, cod and summer flounder, and then encrusting organisms like barnacles, sponges and mussels cling to the sides of the structure. The structures, over time, become like natural reef habitats, and are a boon to local marine life.