In response to the recent dramatic build-up of sand in the Manasquan Inlet, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) today met with top officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review the results of its emergency survey conducted on Thursday at Smith’s request.

            “The Army Corps completed a sonar survey of the Inlet yesterday and reported that although there is some shoaling against the southern jetty, the channel is safe for boat traffic—including the larger commercial vessels,” said Rep. Smith.

            “Out of an abundance of caution, I have requested that the Corps come back every few weeks to repeat the survey and ensure the channel remains safe, to which they have agreed,” said Smith.

            At the meeting with Corps Commander Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Ramon Brigantti and Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kantira, the Corps’ top engineering specialists said they believe the situation may stabilize on its own in the coming weeks, pointing to survey results that indicate the wave action from an offshore storm this week likely helped to reduce the size of the sandbar created by the shoaling. 

            “I am grateful for the Army Corps of Engineers’ quick response and remain committed to working with them to ensure the safety of all commercial and recreational boaters on the Inlet,” Smith said.

            As an example, Army Corps dredging and surveying experts pointed to a survey from only a few weeks ago showing a sandbar located just under the low-tide mark against the Manasquan jetty in the “dynamic” Inlet, which appears to have recently migrated across the channel to the Point Pleasant Beach side.

            Smith said that in addition to monitoring the sand movement in the Inlet, the Army Corps committed to initiating a study to determine the source of the sediment that collects in the Inlet with the hopes of developing a more permanent fix to the issue.

            The Army Corps’ emergency survey of the Inlet came in response to Smith’s intervention late last week after constituents from the local fishing and boating community—including Captain Howard Bogan—raised concerns about a mini-beach visible at low tide against the Inlet’s Point Pleasant Beach jetty.

            In a letter to LTC Brigannti last Friday, Smith requested that the Corps take any and all necessary steps to make sure the Inlet remains safe for mariners.

PHOTO: Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) and Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kanitra brief members of the public in Point Pleasant Beach on Friday, August 19th on the results of the emergency survey of the Manasquan Inlet conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers. The survey came in response to Smith’s intervention late last week after constituents from the local fishing and boating community raised concerns about a mini-beach visible at low tide against the Inlet’s Point Pleasant Beach jetty.

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