The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has begun dredging the Manasquan Inlet today to address the dangerous build-up of sand along the jetty on the Point Pleasant Beach side of channel, said Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), who has been in constant communication with Army Corps officials on board the USACE Dredge Murden.

            “We are very grateful to Lt. Col. Beeman and his team from the Philadelphia Army Corps for their quick response to our concerns over the dangerous shoaling in the Manasquan Inlet that poses serious navigational hazards to boaters during this especially busy time of the year on the Jersey Shore,” said Smith. “Mayor Vitale was also quick to help ensure that this important safety issue was raised and addressed as soon as possible.”

            “With a storm coming in later today, weather and sea conditions may impact their ongoing work, but I am confident that the Army Corps will continue to see this critical operation through to its end as quickly as possible,” Smith said.

            “In the meantime, beachgoers should remain off the sandbar at all times as the removal of sand in the inlet could make the temporary sandbar extremely unstable and unsafe,” Smith said. “Safety is the absolute number one priority.”

            The Army Corps’ action comes after Smith initiated conversations with Army Corps officials and local boat captains over the weekend as the shoaling began to develop.

            In a follow-up letter to Army Corps Commander Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Beeman on Monday, Smith urged the Corps to take immediate action to mitigate the growing navigational hazard.

            As a result, the Corps performed a survey of the inlet floor earlier today and immediately began removing the build-up of sand.

            Manasquan Inlet, which is categorized as a dynamic inlet with constantly shifting sands created by the currents, has been prone to shoaling before. When similar safety hazards plagued the Manasquan Inlet in August 2022, Smith secured an emergency survey of the inlet from the Army Corps in addition to continued, close monitoring of the river floor to ensure the channel remained navigable.

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