NJ Beach Towns Billed $3M To Replenish Beaches, Asks State To Pay

NEW JERSEY — As coastal erosion eats away at New Jersey beaches, several towns have been confronted with a hefty bill to replenish and restore their shores.

Toms River and Bay Head are expected to pay $3 million combined before the federal government returns this winter with its equipment to build back the beaches, according to NJ News 12.

But leaders from these towns say they cannot cover these costs without state aid.

Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis told News 12 that a small town like Bay Head that has less than a $6 million budget will go broke if the municipality is forced to pay the entire bill.

News 12 said every municipality with oceanfront land received an estimated bill. The top four were Toms River, Bay Head, Mantoloking and Brick Township.

Last year, Toms River spent over $750,000 to truck sand over to Ortley Beach after storms caused erosion and damage. The mayors of Toms River and Bay Head have sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy asking the state to cover these costs, but News 12 there has yet to be a response.

Most recently, Toms River embarked on a project to repair dunes and walkovers damaged during a storm on Mother's Day. The council on May 25 approved a contract for $244,250, for Vulcan Construction Group to do the emergency dune and dune walkover repairs.

Read more: Ortley Beach Dune, Walkover Repairs Set To Begin

The Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to return early next year to the problem areas in South Jersey, rebuilding the beaches and dunes lost over the last four years, according to News 12.

Curtis told News 12 he hopes no more hurricanes impact the region because this could raise the repair costs even higher.

According to the United States Geological Survey, during extreme storms, large waves may erode beaches and high storm surge shifts the erosive force of the waves higher on the beach. In some cases, the combined effects of waves and surge may cause "overwash," which is when waves and surge overtop the dune and transport sand inland.

You can read more about the impact that hurricanes and major storms have on beaches here.