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FACT SHEET-Shark River, New Jersey

Federal Navigation Channel Maintenance and Stewardship

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
Published Dec. 20, 2023

DESCRIPTION: The existing project provides for a channel 18 feet deep and 150 feet wide, across the bar at the entrance to the inlet; thence 12 feet deep and generally 100 feet wide through the Main and South Channels to the Route 35 Bridge; thence 8 feet and 100 feet wide to the upper limit of the Belmar Municipal Boat Basin, with additional depths and widths where necessary and practicable to produce satisfactory current velocities at bridges. The total length of the project is approximately 1.7 miles, including the 12-foot deep, 7.3-acre anchorage area immediately east of the Route 4-N bridge.

AUTHORIZATION: The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1945 authorized the Federal Navigation project for Shark River.

COMMERCE: This asset provides navigation access for commercial fishing vessels and a U.S. Coast Guard Station.  Dredged sand is placed in the near shore area creating a temporary berm that provides some erosion and shore protection to the downdrift beach for Avon-by-the-Sea.

BACKGROUND: This deep-draft inlet involves the removal of shoals located at the entrance to the inlet that continue to develop and are dredged semi-annually. They were last dredged in July 2023. These same recurring shoals were previously dredged bi-annually going back to 2006.  With each cycle, approximately 25,000 to 30,000 CY of sand was removed by the Corps dredge CURRITUCK or MURDEN and placed north of the L-jetty at the Borough of Avon-by-the Sea as a near shore berm in approximately 10 – 14 feet of water for beneficial use purposes, so that the sand can continue to nourish the down drift sand beaches.

STATUS: In FY2024, funds are being used for commonly performed Operations & Maintenance (O&M) work, including the bi-annual maintenance dredging of the entrance to the inlet by the Government dredge MURDEN.  Maintenance dredging at Shark River Inlet will be performed in the winter and summer of 2024. Annual hydrographic channel condition survey work with the associated Controlling Depth Report is also scheduled for this year.  The latest hydrographic survey and Controlling Depth Report is located at the New York District website: https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Controlling-Depth-Reports/

CONTACT:  

William T. Bruno
Asset / Project Manager
P: (917) 790-8516                                         
Email:William.Bruno@usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278              
http://www.nan.usace.army.mil

District Area: NJ # 4