Habitat Restoration & Protection Database

In the 1960s, the State of Connecticut removed sand from the beach side at Hammonasset State Park to make the beach safer for visitors. The beach was wide and very shallow at the time, requiring bathers to wade out a very long way from shore to find water deep enough for swimming. The beach’s own natural topography made it hazardous for children and weak swimmers who waded out far from shore upon the return of the flood tide. The hydraulically dredged material was pumped into the nearby tidal wetland for the purposes of creating additional parking lots. Only a portion of the filled area was actually converted to parking - the rest, approximately 11 acres, was left unmanaged.