Posted on May 15, 2024
The City of North Wildwood, NJ, received federal funding for a federal beach nourishment project after Superstorm Sandy, but it remains the only developed coastline in the state that has yet to receive a federal- or state-funded grain of sand. That is about to change as a dredge is expected to be onsite later this month to begin pumping $10 million worth of sand onto North Wildwood’s beaches. The project is expected to take 15 weeks, but the City hopes it will be complete by July 4th.
The City is expecting to receive roughly 330,000 cubic yards of sand but may contribute additional funding to place a greater quantity of sand since it has at least 2 summers to get through before the federal project will be constructed.
Funding for beach nourishment projects in the State of New Jersey typically comes from its Shore Protection Fund, which is controlled by the Department of Environmental Protection. The State’s policy requires that its shore protection funds be matched by federal funding, but in a surprise move, the State’s Department of Transportation has committed to a temporary project to provide relief until the federal project is ready for construction, removing that policy requirement. The project will dredge sand from Hereford Inlet, which is eligible for use so long as the funding is non-federal.
