Beach replenishment projects have been a staple at the shore. It was common that every few years be that as major shore protection projects or maintenance related to past projects that you’d see the army corps of engineers pumping sand in an effort to fortify our waterfronts. Then superstorm sandy hit the northeast and the toll that storm took on our shore protection really was significant to say the least.
Depending on who you ask beach replenishment is either welcomed with open arms or hated. I am one who favors the projects as I feel they provide value in that the dunes they restored and sand they pumped in after the storm helps protect my home. This to me I feel is the goal of the replenishment projects generally speaking but some would disagree with my stance.
The most frequent complaints are from fisherman as I love to go fishing, fish often and it’s this recreational community I am most in tune with. I will not disagree that sand pumped along the shore covers habitat fish call home. Some sections of the project will see jetties notched which eliminated fisherman’s access on top of habitat destruction. When the habitat is changed the fish leave and that impact the locations fisherman once caught fish – this is a legitimate concern. Fisherman also state that pumping sand onto the beach creates a ramp that should another storm him the shore the new sand will act as a ramp pushing up more water into homes and businesses then it would without the sand being present. That’s something I don’t agree with and neither does most government officials and engineering professionals.
It’s the “good for all” thinking that makes the projects move forward as is the project that has started in Loch Harbour in Monmouth County. The project will pump sand starting here and move north. It’s already underway with the dredging vessel Glenn Edwards moving sand on the beach with heavy equipment distributing it where it’s needed.
