Posted on July 6, 2026
Crews are finally rebuilding stretches of shoreline after months of erosion left several New Jersey beaches dangerously narrow, following federal spending cuts that delayed the projects.
Beachgoers visiting Sea Isle City ahead of Independence Day weekend had a front-row seat to the work as construction vehicles rumbled across the sand and dredged material flowed through a pipeline.
From folding chairs near JFK Boulevard, Jenay and Michael O’Connor watched bulldozers spread fresh sand across the beach.
Just weeks earlier, that sand sat three miles offshore on the ocean floor. Now, the Army Corps of Engineers is pumping it onto Sea Isle City’s shoreline, creating a wider beach capable of handling summer crowds while providing greater protection from coastal flooding.
“Generally, it’s pretty pleasant,” said Michael O’Connor of Chalfont, Pennsylvania. “It’s not overcrowded. It seems well maintained.”
The replenishment marks the end of a months-long struggle for local officials in Cape May County, where erosion reached some of its worst levels in recent years.
“It’s great to see these beach fills come back because it keeps everybody busy,” said Dan DePasquale, a resident engineer with the Army Corps. “The beach in Sea Isle was much smaller than it is right now.”
The damage began in August 2025 after Hurricane Erin passed offshore. Two months later, a pair of powerful storms, including a nor’easter, stripped away additional sand. Conditions worsened again in February, when a blizzard contributed to flooding and brought record snowfall to New Jersey.
Although replenishment projects had already been planned, funding delays pushed back the work for months.
As beaches continued to shrink, several towns declared local states of emergency. Municipal leaders traveled to Washington to press lawmakers for funding.
Fresh sand and seawater splash onto the beach in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Congress ultimately provided $99 million earlier this year for replenishment projects in Cape May County.
Crews are about a week away from completing the first phase of work in Sea Isle City, where roughly 479,000 cubic yards of sand are being added to the shoreline.
They are then scheduled to move north to Strathmere, Upper Township’s oceanfront community, where erosion became so severe that the lifeguard headquarters was demolished because it was at risk of collapse.
The Army Corps is spending $21.6 million on repairs in Sea Isle City and Strathmere. Once those projects are completed, crews will move on to Avalon, Stone Harbor and Ocean City, where another $35.3 million has been allocated.
Avalon has already taken interim steps to protect its shoreline. While awaiting federal replenishment, the borough spent $600,000 to move 63,000 cubic yards of sand from its wider northern beaches to more vulnerable sections further south.
Until then, Mayor Curtis Corson urged midsummer crowds to avoid the construction site.
“Closed means closed,” Corson said. “That means don’t climb over pipes, don’t try to go in the dredge basket when they’re pumping sand, and don’t stand in front of a bulldozer with your (beach) blanket because you’ll become a casualty.”
Bulldozers move sand around the beach in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes a weeks-long nourishment project
Preparations are also underway in Ocean City, where replenishment is expected to begin within days.
Equipment has been staged at Morningside Road, and the dredger is anchored in Absecon Inlet awaiting the start of construction.
The beach at St. Charles Place will remain closed for the duration of the project because workers are borrowing sand from the area for replenishment efforts, city officials said.
Beach replenishment operates around the clock with sand continuously deposited onto the shoreline, according to Mandeep Talwar, an engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers overseeing the Sea Isle City project.
To minimize disruptions during the height of the summer season, the Corps typically fences off about 1,000 yards of beach at a time and shifts the work zone as construction progresses. Most areas reopen within a few days.
The projects are funded through a partnership among federal, state and local governments. In most cases, about 91% of costs are covered through federal and state funding, with Congress providing the largest share.
The Army Corps and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection regularly survey beaches to identify erosion hotspots and determine where replenishment is needed.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beaches eroded by a mid-October nor’easter in Ocean City, N.J. seen on Monday, October 27, 2025
State officials have also provided funding for shoreline protection in recent years and Gov. Mikie Sherrill included $50 million for shore protection in the $69.7 billion state budget she signed Tuesday.
