Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer here along the Jersey Shore. School is now in session. Tourists left our beaches to start back into their regular lives for the year. So, now seems like a good time to start Jersey Shore beach dredging and replenishment. In fact, local officials recently announced that the Army Corps should start the mapping process in Ventnor as early as the end of this week. So, keep an eye out for those crazy crab-looking scopes out in the water soon.
Jersey Shore Beach Dredging & Replenishment
What is It?
Every three to four years, the Army Corps of Engineers maps the seabed as well as the contour of our beaches from Atlantic City down to Longport. (Remember the Margate Dunes Project back in 2017?). Mapping these areas only marks the beginning of the process. They do this to determine how much sand they need to replace along our shoreline. In Ventnor, the Army Corps of Engineers agreed to fix the concrete ramp and crossover at Suffolk avenue that cracked when the last replenishment took place. This costs taxpayers nothing. However, the dune re-sloping, dredging, and sand replenishment scheduled to take place later this year do come with a cost. The Federal government covers approximately 65% of the total cost. That leaves 35% for the State of New Jersey and local taxpayers to shoulder. Actual costs for dredging and replenishment won’t be available until they finish the work.
Why Now?
Like I said before, this happens every three to four years as necessary maintenance. Winter storms and nor’easters hit our shores pretty much every year. Their severity changes. But their occurrence remains constant. Part of living in a Jersey Shore beach town means that we need to protect our shoreline as much as possible. Beach dunes provide a necessary level of protection between the ocean and residences. By doing the work now, we strengthen these protections before any harsh storms come through.
Sherri Lilienfeld, Apex Prime Realty, Your Source for Jersey Shore Real Estate