In the Press...
The Coast Star article on Smith-secured dredging funding'New $50M dredging vessel sought for inlets''To address dangerous shoaling of waterways'By Kieran Sullivan On Sept. 4, the House passed the Energy and Water Appropriations Act for the fiscal year 2026 that includes $50 million in dedicated funds for a new shallow-draft dredging vessel. The bill received House approval and will next be forwarded to the Senate for review and potential passage into law. “A vote ‘NO’ would have been a vote against a desperately needed new dredge for the Manasquan and Shark River Inlets and the economy of the Jersey Shore,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-4) stated in a press release. Manasquan Mayor Michael Mangan told The Coast Star, “I’m appreciative whenever we get federal assistance for maintenance of our waterways and I’m appreciative of Rep. Smith’s efforts to get that done. But the reality is we need more and always will ask for more, but we can appreciate everything we can get.” Mayor Mangan noted that for Manasquan and surrounding Jersey Shore towns, coastal waterways are critical to tourism and the fishing economy and other commercial operations that rely on constantly maintained channels and inlets. At Tuesday night’s Belmar Borough Council meeting, Councilwoman Caitlin Donovan said, “We all appreciate (Smith’s) advocacy on behalf of our collective towns and on behalf of the Shark River.” According to Councilwoman Donovan, a coalition of representatives from towns including Belmar, Avon-By-The-Sea, Bradley Beach, Neptune and Neptune City met recently to discuss improvements to the Shark River, including dredging, among other concerns. Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Doug Vitale told The Coast Star, “(Borough Administrator) Joe Michigan and I sat in on a call with some of our local commercial fishermen and Chris Smith’s office a couple weeks ago, and they were talking about possible solutions. They mentioned the funding. They mentioned that they would be dredging twice a year to help the shoaling, and I know that, recently, they also installed cameras on both sides of the jetty, which they can use to monitor the condition of the inlet in real time.” “It turns into a safety issue when there’s any type of shoaling, because then the inlet gets narrowed. It’s definitely very treacherous for our recreational and commercial fishermen,” Vitale said. “It’s something that I’ve kept an eye on since I became mayor, so I’m glad that there’s finally a solution in place.” “Categorized as a dynamic inlet with strong tides, regularly shifting sands that create very dangerous shoaling, sand bars and wave action, the Manasquan Inlet can become treacherous – and at times impassable – for both commercial and recreational boaters,” Smith said in the release. “The threat to life and the grave economic impact the shoaling has on NJ’s fishing industry demand a long-term, sustainable solution.” In August 2024, shoaling in the Manasquan Inlet resulted in a host of surfers trying their luck on a unique wave formed inside the inlet that regularly serves as boat lane for commercial and recreational fishing. The rapid build-up of sand on the inlet’s south jetty forced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dispatch the 156-foot dredge Murden to conduct operations to remedy the issue. According to the Smith press release, there have been only two government-owned shallow-draft dredges serving the East Coast from Galveston, Texas to Maine – the Murden and Currituck. The Currituck, the oldest dredging vessel owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, has been out of service for several years, the release said, leaving one vessel available to dredge inlets and ports along thousands of miles of shoreline. “We have been fighting for years for a new dredge, and this bill will make that a reality,” Rep. Smith said in the press release. |