North and South Cove, Old Saybrook

North and South Cove in Old Saybrook (right and left respectively) are at the southern boundary of the Gateway Conservation Zone. In the photo above, Long Island Sound (far upper left), the Borough of Fenwick (middle left), historic Saybrook Point (lower left) and Ragged Rock Creek (right) enclose the two coves. When the specific location of the Gateway Conservation Zone boundary was debated in the Town of Old Saybrook, a compromise was reached for this area which stipulated that, although Saybrook Point and the Borough of Fenwick were to be entirely within the Conservation Zone, the boundary only extends 50 feet inland from the mean high water line in both North and South Cove. For the most part, that means that many of the residential structures at the west ends of the two coves are not within the Conservation Zone. As a result, the various standards that were developed to minimize visual impact to the "natural and traditional riverway scene" do not apply to those structures. Although one could say that those structures are so far inland from the main stem of the river so as not to create significant visual impacts, it must be remembered that such visual impacts are to be minimized for the river, its tributaries and associated wetlands. Both North and South Cove are considered as a part of the river.

When the issue of just what the "natural and traditional riverway scene" arose, the Gateway Commission determined that it was the river scene that existed at the time the legislation was brought forth in 1973. Although there were periods in recent history where the hillsides were all but barren of trees as a result of harvesting for shipbuilding in the 18th and 19th centuries, the heavily treed hillsides and relatively modest residential and marina development of the early 1970's were considered as the benchmark for future preservation efforts.

North Cove has been a "port of call" going back to the town's early days. At that time, the narrow pensinsula that carried the railroad across the mouth of the cove didn't exist and the major wharves were located in the immediate area of the cove opening that exists today. It is the banks of North Cove where the ship captains built their homes and inns and other establishments that service shipping sprung up. South Cove, on the other hand, was always been left in a more natural state. Today, the Route 154 causeway (not seen in the photo above) carries automobile traffic from Saybrook Point to the Borough of Fenwick in the distance (both peninsulas are within the Gateway Conservation Zone. Three low bridges built into the causeway renovation in the early 1990's precludes all but the smallest boats to move from the lower river into the cove. As a result, South Cove is a great place to kayak and canoe. Unfortunately, public access to South Cove is limited at best.

As properties become more expensive, larger homes are cropping up on the shores of South Cove. With the larger homes comes removal of trees, which is beginning to be an issue. But, like North Cove, the Gateway Conservation Zone boundary only extends 50 feet inland from the mean high water line.

From an ecological standpoint, both North and South Cove suffer siltation issues due to reduced tidal flushing. For both of the Coves, the openings to the river have been reduced by man-made structures. Although siltation isn't as big a problem in the relatively natural and non-boat setting of South Cove, North Cove's federal anchorage had silted in creating problems for the deeper draft sailing vessels that moor there. This shoaling continues over time and, most recently, was remedied in 2009 last year when federal funding finally came through that allowed the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge.