with an easterly longshore sediment transport rate of 16,000 cu yd/year and a westerly
rate of 5,000 cu yd/year, yielding a net rate of 11,000 cu yd/year to the east and a gross
rate of 21,000 cu yd/year.
Mattituck Inlet History and Site Description
Much of the information presented in this section was taken from the Town of
Southold (2003) Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan.
Mattituck Inlet is located in the Village of Mattituck, in the Town of Southold,
Suffolk County, NY. Mattituck Inlet in its natural condition, is depicted in an 1838 NOS
topographic sheet T-55 (Figure 2-4). In its natural condition, Mattituck Inlet is shown to
be directed towards the east. The inlet is of regional economic significance as the only
major harbor east of Port Jefferson Harbor, a distance of 35 miles. The inlet is identified
as one of 10 maritime centers on Long Island Sound by the New York Department of
State (NYDOS). Mattituck Inlet and Creek have historically been of economic
importance as well, as seen from the infrastructure in 1955 (Figure 2-5). The creek was
the site of a tide-gristmill, constructed in 1821, which operated until 1902 (Figure 2-6).
The structure is now the Old Mill Inn Restaurant.
Mattituck Creek serves four marinas and is a commercial and recreational boating
center. The oysters of Mattituck Creek were historically considered to be of the finest
quality and taste (Craven 1906). In 1988, the NYSDEC listed Mattituck Creek as a high-
priority water body problem and the water quality problem as "severe," an action that
precluded shell fishing in the area. These problems were listed by the NYSDEC as
having "high resolution potential," and the creek has been the subject of an effort to
improve water quality. At present, the NYSDEC permits conditional shellfish harvesting
in the northern section of Mattituck Creek, whereas the southern portion remains closed.
The water at the mouth of Mattituck Inlet is listed as high quality.
The area around Mattituck Inlet has seen gradual improvement. In 2002, New York
State purchased 9.5 acres of surrounding land to further restore the waterfront and
promote public access.
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Chapter 2 Study Area and Physical Setting
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