Dredging And Replenishment Of Fisherman's Cove To Begin Next Week

MANASQUAN, NJ – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials announced that a navigation dredging project in the Manasquan River complex in Monmouth and Ocean counties would start on Aug. 4.

The $7.2 million project will restore eight channels, providing boaters safe access for enhanced recreational and economic activity. This project includes dredging the Sawmill Creek Riviera Beach, Glimmer Glass, Watson’s Creek, Sherman’s Creek, Wills Hole Thorofare, Manasquan Yacht Club, Clarke’s Landing, and Debbie’s Creek channels.

The project will remove approximately 88,000 cubic yards of material from the eight channels. Sawmill Creek Riviera Beach, Glimmer Glass, Watson’s Creek, Sherman’s Creek channels will be restored to an authorized depth of seven feet below mean low water while Manasquan Yacht Club, Clarke’s Landing, and Debbie’s Creek Channels will be restored to a depth of 6 feet below mean low water, and Wills Hole Thorofare Channel will be restored to a depth of 14 feet below mean low water.

NJDOT’s contractor, H&L Contracting LLC., is expected to begin dredging Wills Hole Thorofare on Tuesday, Aug. 4 and the dog beach at Fisherman’s Cove Park will be closed to allow the placement of beach-quality sand. Dredging operations for this part of the project are expected to continue 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week for a few weeks.

In mid-September, the project will move to the new overflow parking lot for Fisherman’s Cove, just to the south of the current parking lot off 3rd Avenue. Once a dewatering site is set up in the lot, dredging is expected to resume in October and continue 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week through the end of December 2021.

Members of the public should avoid all marked work areas. The beach will be closed in sections during beach placement activities. Please be cautious of heavy machinery operating on the beach and parking lot areas, and do not attempt to play in the outflow from the hydraulic dredging operation.

Boaters should be advised that State Aids to Navigation (ATON) may be removed for the project's duration. All boaters, including those utilizing human-powered craft, should be vigilant to project pipeline routes and crossings. Updates to the Local Notice to Mariners will be posted as the project progresses.