Barnegat Inlet dredging set for July

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has just announced details for an upcoming project that will involve dredging the Barnegat Inlet navigation channel and placing the sand in the nearshore area off Harvey Cedars, N.J.

The dredger Murden is expected to arrive around July 6th and will conduct dredging and placement operations for 30 to 45 days.

The Army Corps conducts dredging in Barnegat Inlet twice annually. Normally, the sand is deposited offshore of Barnegat Light.

For this project, sand will be placed in the nearshore area (approximately 200 yards) off Harvey Cedars (roughly between Hudson Avenue south to Union Avenue).

The work involves dredging a large amount of sediment from the Barnegat Inlet navigation channel, which is critical for the U.S. Coast Guard and a large commercial fishing fleet.

Additionally, the nearshore placement aspect allows for the testing of an innovative method to support the federal dune-and-beachfill project on Long Beach Island.

The chosen placement area in Harvey Cedars has historically experienced chronic erosion, said USACE.

Work is part of a two-phase effort being conducted in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The project is one of 10 selected nationwide for testing innovative approaches to the beneficial use of dredged sediment.

The other phase of the project, completed in December 2020, involved dredging the Oyster Creek federal channel in Barnegat Bay and using the sediment to begin creating an island habitat in the bay.