Protecting Port Monmouth shores

Hurricane Isaias stormed up the east coast of the United States in early August, bringing heavy rain and winds up to 85 mph to the shores of flood-prone Port Monmouth, NJ.

Immediately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, reached out to the community to find out how they were doing and how its flood risk management project was working. 

The project that is undergoing construction is the community of Port Monmouth, along the northern New Jersey coast along the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays in Monmouth County.

Work that was completed to date includes building up and widening the shoreline along the Sandy Hook Bay by replenishing sand and constructing a new stone groin perpendicular to the shoreline.

A groin structure extends out from the shore into the water and interrupts water flow and limits the movement of sand, to prevent beach erosion and increase resiliency.

The goal of this project is to help reduce the risk of flooding throughout the entire community.

USACE is performing this work in partnership with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Coastal Engineering, as well as with the local community.

By JoAnne Castagna, Ed.D. USACE