Township: State Plans to Clean Barnegat Bay Taking Shape
Bay included in statewide waterway clean up plan
Toms River waterways are among those planned for cleanup by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the township has announced.
Township officials met with state DEP representatives last week to discuss waterway debris removal. Along with the lagoons, rivers, and streams to be cleaned is the Barnegat Bay, a waterway that township officials have said is causing continued flooding following Superstorm Sandy.
"This is an unprecedented effort on the part of the DEP," said Mayor Thomas Kelaher in a statement. "In the past, the DEP didn’t acknowledge responsibility for the lagoons, so I'm pleased that our many lagoons will be included in the state's dredging project of debris removal."
In addition to calls for action from the township to clean the bay, the Ocean County Freeholders have also voiced their concerns about debris in the waterway. According to the township, the debris is defined as "anything that ended up in the waterways from Hurricane Sandy, inclusive of floating and submerged objects."
"This will include boats, cars, parts of homes, contents of homes and businesses, structural debris and sand," a township statements reads.
Kelaher is "delighted" with the steps being taken by the state, as it will also allow Toms River residents to participate in safe boating outings. Gov. Chris Christie has set a goal of removing 75 percent of all waterway debris by the start of June, according to the township.
The governor said in his State of the State address that cleaning up the state's waterways would be a priority as New Jersey continues to recover from Sandy. Christie said that 1,400 vessels were abandoned or sunken throughout the state. In Mantoloking, 58 buildings and eight cars were washed into the Barnegat Bay.
"We will remove this debris and dredge the bay to reduce the risk of flooding and to improve the health of the bay," he said in his address.
Debris removal contracts are expected to be awarded to three entities this week, according to the township. A map of the 11 waterway zones in the state is available online — Toms River is within zones five and six.
Debris will be removed first, and items posing an "imminent health and safety hazard" will be a priority. Sand will be dredged and the state DEP has agreed to have the sand pumped back on to public beach areas and private areas where public easements exist.
"Kelaher has advised the NJDEP that Toms River wants to participate to the maximum extent that it can in the sand recovery for their beaches," the township said in a statement.
The state Department of Transportation is conducting sounding and underwater surveying to determine what sand and debris must be removed.
"The [Federal Emergency Management Agency] standard is to measure the 'eligible debris' to be removed by virtue of the greatest draft of the typical boat that utilizes the waterway, plus two feet at low tide," reads a township statement. "This would appear, on the surface, to be a liberal interpretation which would result in the greatest amount of debris and sand being removed."
Martin
8:17 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
How are they going to get the dredged up sand from the Bay back onto the beach, and are they going to use it to build dunes to protect our homes from the next big storm? I hope they use eminent domain to get easements in front of those precious oceanfront homes' views!
My mainland (Silverton) house is susceptible to flooding now that there's 1,000,000+ cubic yards of sand on the bottom of the bay. Tides are much higher.
Clearing the bay for boaters is one thing, but the safety of thousands of homes and residents is just as important.
foggyworld
10:03 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Your situation was not a universal one. We received tons of sand on our beaches in northern Bayville.
proud
9:40 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
This is a GREAT Facebook page. It's full of information and proves that the economic impact of the new FEMA regulations and the willingness of the once great State of New Jersey and the municipalities that don't don't fight for their constituencies will destroy the shore..The ramifications will affect all citizens, not just those directly affected:
[Stop FEMA now | Facebook
www.facebook.com/StopFemaNow
facebook/StopFemaNow. Flood-elevation maps will destroy the Shore. www.app.com. Gov. Christie's adoption of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ...]
foggyworld
10:07 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Dredging the Bay seems premature. Why not use the many federal flying objects overhead to look at the water when it is still. Yes, there is debris and it is moving all the time. It is right near our house and with waders and a new boat hook, I am planning to bring it in. People are willing to help and somehow the government always grabs the most expensive way to do things.
Dredging the Bay where oysters and clams have been planted is just downright foolish. And we the taxpayers have paid for all of that which will certainly be disturbed by a gross dredging of this large but shallow Bay.
Mr. ?
11:24 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Cant help myself! " the government always grabs the most expensive way to do things." Wonder if TR will use Ash Britt? and to answer martin about putting the (sand) dredge material back onto the beaches, I doubt the DEP will allow the mix of contaminated materials to be put on the beach.
Holly
11:45 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Boats and cars have been sinking in the bay over the past 50 years. It is dangerous, dirty, and needs to be cleaned up. I'm glad that the state is using Sandy as an excuse to secure the funds to finally do it.
Mary Ann
10:27 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Does anyone know if this State dredging action will include the northern end of the Bay between Bay Head and Pt. Pleasant as well? We have debris stuck in the lagoons and wetland up here as well.
Dainty
10:45 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
How are you guys doing in Bayville? Pine Beach? area. Have you had volunteers in to help you gut and remove debris?
marcy
2:42 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Waves of Action and Pine Beach Clean Team removed about ten piles of debris and eight or nine bags of garbage in Pine Beach.
Dainty
10:54 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Mantoloking said they had to use sonar to locate the large structures, then get barges in to remove them, then they can dredge. Its going to take some time*
Debbie Bury
11:39 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Glad they are doing this but mr mayor pleased pick up the garbage on rte 35 north in Orltey Beach, would you like that garbage down town or on your block???
taxed-out-the-wazoo
2:04 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Hopefully, the state dredging project will be placed on a regular maintenance schedule for Barnegat Bay (i.e., every 4-5 yrs) to avoid a continued sand/dirt build-up in the bay.
This dredging should have been done long ago to avoid some of the tidal water issues and constant street flooding in some areas of the barrier islands and mainlands that occurred long before Sandy hit.
These are not FEMA elevation issues...but waterway maintenance issues that were not addressed until now. But, like the sand replenishment on the beaches....the sand removal from the bay needs to be done regularly as well.
Carolyn Kowalski
2:33 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I'm new to the area so can someone tell me if Kettle Creek and the Lower Common Branch is included in any water clean up? Both Bay Harbor and Seaview Village developments were effected from the tidal surge during the ocean breach. We now notice that the water level esp. in the Lower Common Branch is much higher and loaded with garbage. People living here for 30 years never flooded until Sandy. Still waiting for people to claim boats, jet skis,docks that were left on our properties.
I hope some one has some information for me. Thanks
hery
4:42 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Sand in thethe bay has zero to do with the level of the tides or water in the bay. If they were to make the bay 1000 feet deep, it would not affect tide levels or average water levels at all. Tides are lunar and water seeks equilibrium
Dainty
5:14 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Marcy? Do you guys still need help? We've been working in Ortley but are open to any areas that need help with volunteers gutting and debris removals. you can contact me joandelucia@verizon.net
Nick Santagata
10:28 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
I am a landscape mason and I feel a good way to improve the water quality at the barnegat bay is by installing a 12 inch pipe from the island beach state park entrance on bay side and pump the water from the bay into the ocean side. Clean water will flow from the ocean to the bay via barnegat inlet and point pleasant cannel. By the first year we should see improvements. 5 years large improvements. I picked the entrance of island beach state park because it's about half way from inlet to cannel and there are no houses in the way to run the pipe and no major traffic.
Nick Santagata
10:30 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Lmk what you think?