Posted on May 26, 2016
By Andrew Parent, ShoreNewsToday
A sign of summer replaced dredging equipment in Ocean City’s southend beaches last week.
As Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company finished up a $15.8 million re-pump of sand covering parts of Ocean City, Sea Isle City and Strathmere, and removed its equipment, recycling cans have been placed on the resort’s beaches once again, and the lifeguard stands are being readied at the city property at 46th Street.
The re-pump finished last Tuesday after the contractor pumped about 500,000 cubic yards of sand from 37th to 59th streets in Ocean City, according to U.S. Army Corps spokesman Rich Pearsall.
While Pearsall said he wasn’t sure how much sand was added in Strathmere and Sea Isle, he said about two million cubic yards were pumped in the three communities combined.
The project was related to a federal project in which one-and-a-half million cubic yards of sand were restored in Ocean City. About 1.3 million cubic yards were pumped in Strathmere for that project, while nearly two million went to Sea Isle.
The project finished in early fall, about a week before an October nor’easter eroded some of the freshly pumped sand. A winter storm that slammed the area with snow, sleet and tidal flooding in late January eroded even more of the new fill.
The $57 million federal project completed last year was entirely funded under a $5.35 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package in 2013.
That project was the start of a 50-year contract with the Army Corps of Engineers and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, in which the south end of Ocean City will be replenished on a three-year cycle. Ludlam Island, which includes Strathmere and Sea Isle City, will be replenished on a five-year cycle.
Under the agreement, the federal and state governments split project costs 50-50, with local towns picking up 25 percent of the state cost.
Both the current project and future projects there will use sand from Corsons Inlet, a channel between Ocean City and Strathmere.
Ocean City entered into a similar contract in 1990 for the resort’s northend beaches, which were replenished in an $11.4 million project last winter. Under that contract, the federal government covers 65 percent of replenishment costs, while 35 percent is covered by the state and city. Ocean City is responsible for paying 25 percent of the state’s share of the project, and paid just under $1 million for the recent northend project.
The resort’s beaches and oceans will again be in business this weekend for Memorial Day. According to a press release sent by Ocean City officials, certain beaches there will have lifeguards on duty from Saturday, May 28 to Friday, June 3.
Beaches will be guarded at Stenton Place, St. Charles Place, Brighton Place and Eighth, Ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th, 26th, 34th and 58th streets. The beaches will be guarded from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
The city’s beach patrol urges beachgoers to swim only at guarded beaches. For questions, call 609-525-9201 or 609-525-9200. For more information, tune in to Radio 1620 AM or the city’s Government Access channel, Channel 97.
Source: ShoreNewsToday
