Chris Smith U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 4th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Chris Smith U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 4th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dredge boat Murden has removed approximately 20,000 cubic yards of sand from the Manasquan Inlet to address a hazardous shoal that formed this summer.
This translates to around 64 million pounds of wet sand extracted since the operation began last weekend. The project is ongoing, so the final amount will likely be higher once the shoal is fully cleared.
The Murden, a 156-foot split hull hopper dredge, has a capacity of 500 cubic yards but is currently being loaded with 400 cubic yards per cycle for easier transport, according to Army Corps' Philadelphia District spokesperson Stephen Rochette.
Several stakeholders, including U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), called for assistance after shoaling reoccurred on the Point Pleasant Beach side of the inlet for the second time in three years. The previous instance was in 2022.
Fishing boat captains who navigate the inlet daily reported that the shoal was at its worst ever. Capt. William Egeter Jr., captain of the Dauntless party boat, described it as a "beach" extending about one-third into the inlet's mouth, posing a navigational hazard.
The Army Corps and local leaders are advising people to avoid venturing onto the shoal.
The removed sand is being deposited offshore near Manasquan's Riddle Way beach, four beaches north of the inlet. Rochette explained this location was chosen for its proximity to facilitate quick transport and because it supports Manasquan beaches without returning to the inlet due to northward drifting sand within what’s known as ‘depth of closure.’
Persistent south winds and swells this summer have likely caused this year's shoaling by pushing sand into the inlet, similar to conditions in 2022.
"(In) time periods with persistent southerlies, the sand can move quickly into the inlet," Rochette stated previously.
Critics argue that beach replenishment projects contribute to excess sand drifting northward. The Army Corps completed such a project south of Manasquan Inlet on Barnegat Peninsula in 2019.
In historical context, natural processes completely blocked off Manasquan Inlet in the 1920s following construction activities like digging Point Pleasant Canal, leading to stabilization efforts by the Corps.
An earlier version of this story appeared in Asbury Park Press on August 16, 2024 print edition and online on August 15, 2024.
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