Hempstead Artificial Reef

Depth: 50-70 ft
Lucisaura    Wards Island drydock      DB-1         dredge barges Navy barge   barge        unknown      Jane

Depth: 50 - 72 ft

Hempstead Artificial Reef


M60 tanks reef
M60 tanks undergo a thorough cleaning before use as reefs

The Artificial Reef Program used four types of obsolete Army armored vehicles as artificial reef materials off the New Jersey coast. These were cleaned at local military bases, loaded onto barges for transport, and pushed off at their final destination. Once the Army had disposed of its excess inventory, the program ceased, around 1999. The Artificial Reef Program has sunk almost 400 tanks altogether, far too many to list them here in this website.


Redbird Subway Car - in service

There is a great deal of controversy over the use of subway cars as artificial reefs. There shouldn't be. Subway cars are fish condos. They are the perfect size and shape to provide homes for all sorts of fishes, as well as large attachment areas for other organisms. The fact that they come complete with large door and window openings is even better. Most reef materials, such as ships and barges, improve with age because they open up, allowing easier access to the interior. Indeed, some of the most barren reefs I have seen are those that are completely intact, since they offer little shelter.



rock reef
A hopper barge full of rock

All manner of concrete, steel, and stone rubble from dredging, demolition projects, and other construction is used as artificial reef materials. This material is generally available at very low cost or free from construction companies who are more than happy to get rid of it. Transportation costs determine where this material is used by the Reef Program.


DB-1
Type:
artificial reef, barges
Depth:
50 - 72 ft
Name Description Sunk GPS
115 ft steel 40°31.145'
-73°31.736'
100 ft wood
drydock
1990 40°31.504'
-73°31.914'
Navy 110 ft steel 1993 40°31.077'
-73°31.476'
40 ft steel
dredge
Wednesday
Oct 4, 2000
40°31.010'
-73°32.501'
40 ft steel
dredge
Wednesday
Oct 4, 2000
40°31.010'
-73°32.501'
DB-1 75 ft steel
derrick
Friday
Aug 10, 2018
40°30.971'
-73°32.971'

Type:
artificial reef, tugboat, USA
Built:
1939 Wilmington DE USA
Specs:
( 70x18 ft ) 65 tons
Sunk:
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 - Hempstead Artificial Reef
Depth:
GPS:
40°31.030' -73°31.800'

Redbird Subway Car - in service
Type:
250 "Redbird" subway cars - NYC Subway system - steel bodies / frames
Built:
1959-1960 - American Car & Foundry - Model R26 # 7750-7859
1960-1961 - American Car & Foundry - Model R28 # 7860-7959
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R29 # 8570-8805
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R33 # 8806-9345
1963-1964 - St. Louis Car - Model R36 # 9346-9769
Specs:
( 51 x 9 ft ) 15,000 to 18,000 pounds (body)
Sunk:
50 cars - Cape May Reef on July 3, 2003
50 cars - Deepwater Reef on July 16, 2003
50 cars - Atlantic City Reef on July 25, 2003
50 cars - Garden State North Reef on Sept 3, 2003
50 cars - Shark River Reef on Oct 14, 2003
619 cars - Delaware Reef 11 from Aug 2001 to Nov 2003
Sponsor:
New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
anti-
Sponsor:
Environmental group Clean Ocean Action lobbied aggressively and almost successfully to prevent the use of these subway cars as artificial reefs in New Jersey, resulting in most of the cars going to other states.
GPS:
too many to list, and all gone anyway
Depth:
Depths vary by location between 80 ft and 130 ft.

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