Posted on November 20, 2017
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit on Nov. 6 to clear shoals from Little Egg Inlet, and the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection is reviewing bids for the work, according to DEP press officer Lawrence Hajna.
DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said earlier this year that dredging the inlet, which is a major thoroughfare for boat traffic off southern Long Beach Island, is necessary to “make it safe again for everyone who needs this vital access for fishing and recreation.”
The project will focus on shoaling on the ocean side of the inlet. An estimated 1 million to 1.5 million cubic yards of sand will be dredged to create a channel 25 feet below mean sea level. Local officials hope the dredged sand will be used to replenish beaches on portions of southern LBI.
While the state’s Division of Coastal Engineering said earlier this year that it hoped to expedite the dredging, the Army Corps of Engineers had to first review the DEP’s permit application, which included a public comment period and consultations with environmental resource agencies.
Source: The SandPaper.Net
