LACEY, NJ — As Stouts Creek’s dredging project is set to begin this month, boaters in Berkeley and Lacey should be aware and use caution, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) said.
The $9.5 million project will restore channels to a safe, navigable depth, NJDOT officials said.
NJDOT’s contractor, H&L Contracting, will dredge fine sand and silt from multiple channels within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, including:
- Stouts Creek Channel
- Stouts Creek Spur A
- Stouts Creek Spur B
- Laurel Harbor Channel South
- Laurel Harbor Channel North
- Worden’s Oyster Pond
- Cedar Creek Channel
- Cedar Creek Channel Spur
- Whites Creek Channel
- Clamming Creek South Channel
- Clamming Creek North Channel
The project will restore safe navigation by dredging the channels to their appropriate depths, between four and six feet. The public is advised to use caution when boating in the area.
Dredging operations are scheduled to begin this month and are expected to be completed in February 2026. Work will be conducted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The area is expected to remain open throughout the duration of the project.
All material removed from the channels will be transported via pipeline and discharged into Stouts Creek Marsh. The pipeline will be clearly marked with buoys and lights for safe navigation. Channel closures are not expected, but if they are needed, closures will be communicated through the Local Notice to Mariners. State Aids to Navigation (ATON) will be removed as necessary for the duration of the project.
The public is advised to be aware of and stay alert for the pipeline, buoys, dredge, and other maritime construction equipment during the project. NJDOT asks that no one enter the construction areas nor approach project-related equipment (including dredges). Boaters should proceed through dredging and construction zones with caution and can contact the contractor for meeting/passing arrangements on Channel 65. No wake speed should be observed in active work zones.
This work is part of a multi-phase project to restore 109 acres of marshland, using dredged material from nearby navigation channels over multiple dredging projects. This project will elevate the marsh platform to reduce coastal flooding and protect the marsh and local communities against storm surges and extreme weather impacts.
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