The New Jersey Atlantic Ocean coastline extends from Sandy Hook to Cape May, New Jersey, covering a range of approximately 130 miles. The New Jersey coastline from Manasquan Inlet south to Cape May Point lies within the boundaries of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Philadelphia District while from Manasquan Inlet north is under the jurisdiction of the USACE, New York District. Within the Philadelphia District study region, there are ten tidal inlets in New Jersey, four of which are federally authorized navigation projects (Manasquan Inlet, Barnegat Inlet, Absecon Inlet and Cape May Inlet). Net longshore transport is northward to the north of Barnegat Inlet and southward to the south of Barnegat Inlet, with localized reversals in transport direction adjacent to the tidal inlets.
Seven federally authorized beachfill projects have been constructed along the Philadelphia District’s New Jersey coastline: Barnegat Inlet to Little Egg Inlet, Absecon Island, Brigantine Island, Ocean City from Great Egg Harbor Inlet to 36th Street, Avalon/Stone Harbor, Cape May City, and Lower Cape May Meadows/Cape May Point. Federally-authorized beachfill projects within the Philadelphia District jurisdiction (Manasquan Inlet to Cape May) are presented in the table below. This table considers information including construction date, beachfill placed (including initial construction and periodic nourishment), future programmed beachfill needs for the entire 50-yr project life, and sediment availability for borrow areas*.
|
Project
|
Scheduled Initial
Construction
|
Philadelphia District jurisdiction
Quantities (Cubic Yards)
|
|
Beachfill
(placed to date)
|
Programmed Future Beachfill
|
Borrow Area
Availability*
|
| Manasquan to Barnegat |
Not authorized, potential Fall 2010 |
0
|
23,182,000
|
17,500,000
|
| Barnegat to Little Egg (LBI) |
Commenced Dec 2006 at Surf City |
700,000
|
20,000,000
|
26,200,000
|
| Brigantine to Great Egg (Brigantine) |
Completed - Spring 2006 |
672,000
|
2,496,000
|
2,700,000
|
| Brigantine to Great Egg (Absecon) |
Completed - Winter 2003/04 |
4,600,000
|
25,456,000
|
13,200,000
|
| Great Egg to Townsends |
Not authorized, potential Fall 2010 |
0
|
31,800,000
|
45,461,000
|
| Ocean City |
Completed - 1993 |
10,547,000
|
13,200,000
|
5,600,000
|
| Townsends to Cape May (Avalon & Stone Harbor) |
Completed - 2003 |
4,400,000
|
11,936,000
|
4,100,000
|
| Hereford Inlet to Cape May |
To Be Determined |
|
|
|
| Cape May City |
Completed - 1991 |
3,426,000
|
6,228,000
|
2,200,000
|
| Lower Cape May Meadows |
Completed - Winter 2004/05 |
1,340,000
|
7,800,000
|
8,200,000
|
|
|
24,988,800
|
142,798,000
|
125,161,000
|
Borrow area available sediment quantities consider only federally authorized or environmental-permitted borrow areas. Available sediment considers post-project construction quantities for constructed projects (non-constructed projects consider pre-project construction quantities). Quantities were determined by calculating the volumetric difference between the sediment-water interface from bathymentric surveys (collected between 2004 and 2006) and the beachfill-quality sand depth based on vibracores and construction dredging depth limitations. Quantities do not consider infilling rates, an analysis which is presently being performed. A total of approximately 168 million cubic yards of material will be placed over the entire 50-year lifecycles of these projects. Available borrow material estimates have been calculated without consideration of infilling rates. Analyses including infilling rates are presently underway to develop more detailed quantity estimates. Borrow area locations for these projects range from adjacent tidal inlet channels and ebb shoals to nearshore and offshore features. A summary of all (inclusive of federally authorized beachfills discussed above) documented historical beach nourishment events on the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey is provided below.
|
Documented New Jersey Atlantic Coast beach nourishment projects
Summary of Quantities
(as of 31 December 2011)
|
| |
Cubic Yards
|
| Total Beach Nourishment - Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays |
14,154,066
|
| Total Beach Nourishment - Monmouth County Atlantic Coast |
35,636,288
|
Total Beach Nourishment - Ocean County
- Island Beach
- Long Beach Island
|
18,618,374
2,254,555
16,363,819
|
Total Beach Nourishment - Atlantic County
- Absecon Island
- Brigantine Island
|
19,589,842
16,208,842
3,381,000
|
| Total Beach Nourishment - Cape May County |
53,606,322
-
25,423,388
-
8,690,414
-
9,184,088
-
2,139,654
-
8,168,778
|
- Peck Island
- Ludlam Island
- Seven-Mile Island
- Five-Mile Island
- Cape May
|
Details of historical beach nourishment events are included on a county-by-county basis below:
|
|