New Manasquan Inlet Shoaling Survey In Works, Army Corps Says

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — Shoaling on the Point Pleasant Beach side of Manasquan Inlet will be assessed again by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, officials confirmed Tuesday.

The Army Corps confirmed it has agreed to survey the area again after a meeting Rep. Chris Smith, amid concerns from recreational and commercial fishing boat captains about the widening sandbar that developed in the last week.

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to conduct a survey as soon as safely possible based on tides and sea conditions," said Steve Rochette, public affairs officer for the Army Corps Philadelphia district. The survey will be posted on the New Jersey Inlets page of the Army Corps civil projects website.

Rochette said the date of the survey is still being determined. He had initially said the survey could take place next week, but said that has not been confirmed.

"Shifting sands in the Inlet are not new, but this oversized low-tide sandbar in the inlet has not been seen in our lives," said Smith, who visited Manasquan Inlet on Monday. "We are gravely concerned that it will pose a serious hazard to navigation."

The Manasquan Inlet is considered a "dynamic" inlet — one in which the sand is constantly changing. The inlet closed on its own for several years in the 1920s and was only restored after the Army Corps built the jetties that define its entrance.

Smith, in a letter to Lt. Col. Ramon Brigantti of the Philadelphia District, said there were reports that at least one portion in the federal channel was only 9 feet deep, far more shallow than the 12 feet needed by many of the large commercial vessels that use the inlet, putting them at risk of running aground.

"Should that happen, it would be both very dangerous and extremely costly," Smith wrote.

On Monday, Smith met with Capt. Howard Bogan of the Jamaica, whose family is synonymous with fishing at the Jersey Shore. Bogan has been speaking about the risks of the sandbar, and that led to people contacting Smith. Read more: Sandbar In Manasquan Inlet Raising Concerns For Boaters

The Army Corps last week said it was monitoring the sandbar, but that did not quell concerns. Read more: Manasquan Inlet Shoaling Being Monitored, Army Corps Says

Smith and Bogan spoke with Brigantti by phone from Bogan's office on Monday to reiterate what Bogan and others were seeing.

"Nobody knows these waters better than the veterans of our local fishing community, so it was important to have Captain Howard Bogan on the phone to share his first-hand knowledge and experience of sailing through the channel in the last two weeks," Smith said. "His expertise and insights helped illustrate the need to survey the inlet to see exactly where the shallow spots lie."

One of the concerns is that under stormy conditions, the sand bar will be very dangerous to all vessels because strong winds will make it more difficult to steer around the sandbar, "especially if the sandbar continues to grow at the current rate," Smith said.

Smith also spoke with Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kanitra and Councilman Michael Ramos, who discussed their concerns about the situation’s effects on the local fishing community, as well as the challenges of keeping people off the sandbar that has resulted from the shoaling.

People should stay off the sandbar, as tempting as it is to fish from it, because of the dangers of being so close to boats speeding through the inlet.

Smith also spoke with charter boat Capt. David Goldman of Shore Catch Guide Service, who explained how the shifting sands have changed the wave action at the mouth of the inlet making it more challenging for smaller boats to traverse the waterway during this busy time of year.

"The Army Corps of Engineers is the federal government’s master builders, and nobody does it better than the Corps," Smith said. "We appreciate their response and new survey of the inlet."

Note: This article has been updated with more current information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.