STONE HARBOR AND MIDDLE TOWNSHIP NEW JERSEY
The Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District has partnered with state and local organizations on a marsh restoration demonstration project along the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway near Stone Harbor and Middle Township New Jersey.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife the Nature Conservancy and the Wetlands Institute joined efforts in the past year on the initiative. The dredged material to restore marsh and create habitat on marshland owned and managed by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife.
The dredging project is funded under the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill through an existing Philadelphia District contract with Barnegat Bay Dredging Company.
Corps Project Manager Monica Chasten (middle) discusses dredging and placement operations with Corps Inspector Charlie Yates (left) and Joe Hill (right) owner of Barnegat Bay Dredging Company. The Corps of Engineers has partnered with the state of New Jersey and several non-profit organizations on a dredging and marsh restoration project along the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway. The demonstration project involves dredging critical shoals from the waterway and restoring ecological habitat. (Photo by Tim Boyle)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractor are restoring marsh on Ring Island near Stone Harbor New Jersey as part of a demonstration project. The Corps and its contractor Barnagat Bay Dredging Company are dredging the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway and using the material to restore marshland and critical ecological habitat. (Photo by Tim Boyle)
The contractors began dredging the federal channel of the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterways on August 11 and had removed approximately 7000 cubic yards of fine-grain sand from a critical shoal in the waterway by the end of August.
When the project is complete partner organizations will provide monitoring and analysis of both ecological and economic benefits of the process.
In addition to restoring habitat the Corps will continue demonstration efforts and conduct thinlayer placement along marsh adjacent to the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway through early September. Thin-layer placement involves pumping several inches of clean fine-grained sediment onto the marsh providing a foundation for marsh grasses to take root. This method can be a sustainable solution when dredging small quantities of sediment.
