This is important because the large amount of sand in the pond reduces the circulation in the pond, keeps the pond shallower and thus warmer-all of which are conditions that can lead to harmful algal blooms. Every year the ocean currents, waves and wind fill the lower part of the pond with sand and the dredging helps balance this force by removing some of the sand and restoring it to dunes and beaches nearby. The dredging which is conducted under a 10-year permit with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) allows for 15,000 cubic yards of sand to be removed from the mouth and 950 cubic yards of sand to be removed from Georgica Cove. The Dongan Patent, courtesy of the East Hampton Library.ĭredging is not the same as the multiple openings of the pond that the Trustees perform each year, but greatly improves the results of these openings. They are as vital today as they were in the 17th Century. The Trustees are the original government of East Hampton established by King James II through the Dongan Patent on December 9, 1686. The Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonality of the Town of East Hampton have been dredging the mouth of Georgica Pond for many decades.

Pond dredging georgia