Manasquan Inlet Dredging Will Begin In February

MANASQUAN, NJ — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin a significant dredging operation of the Manasquan Inlet in February to ensure the channel remains safe for marine traffic.

The Army Corps says this is "routine dredging," but this area's Congressman, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), said he specifically requested the Corps keep an eye on the narrow inlet because of a large sandbar that formed last summer.

The Army Corps will first work in the Shark River Inlet — while dredging one to two loads of sand in the Manasquan Inlet each day — before shifting fully to the Manasquan Inlet for five days in early February.

The dredging will be completed by the Army Corps’ dredging boat, the "Murden."

The "Murden" is scheduled to arrive in the Shark River Inlet in late January. In the case of the Manasquan Inlet, the sand will be placed on the north side of the jetty to support Manasquan borough beaches.

“(This) is in response to repeated concerns brought to me by local anglers to ensure the channel is safe for boat traffic and to mitigate any potential hazards — like the large sandbar that developed last summer,” said Congressman Smith on Monday.

The dredging project is the result of the Army Corps’ regular monitoring of the Inlet — including a recent survey conducted on January 10 — that Smith requested in August when a dramatic build-up of sand threatened to bring the area's fishing and boating season to a grinding halt.

In August, Smith asked the Corps to conduct an emergency survey of the Manasquan Inlet after meeting with leaders in the local fishing industry who raised concerns over a large and potentially dangerous sandbar that was developing in the waterway.

While a sonar survey of the Inlet showed the channel remained safe for boat traffic at the time, Smith requested the Corps come back every few weeks to repeat the survey out of an abundance of caution.

“Especially with the temperate weather we expect over the next few weeks, the Army Corps’ dredging comes not a moment too soon,” Smith said.

Karen Wall contributed reporting to this story.