STONE HARBOR – Stone Harbor Borough Council discussed the Coastal Research Center of Stockton University’s Annual Report on Shoaling Conditions in eight bayshore lagoons since the last major borough dredging in 2016 and 2017.
The report states that “hot spot sediment does not appear to be a trigger for a 2022 dredging permit effort because there are no critical shoals.” It also states that the most impacted area by sedimentation is Pleasure Bay, but even it “is not screaming for dredging” in 2022.
The report also makes clear that the lagoons “are sneaking up on a +3.0-foot accumulation, but none have made it there yet.” The report also makes clear that the point when dredging will be required is approaching.
On the same day, the council introduced its 2022 budget, which requires no local purpose tax increase and allocates $300,000 to each of two accounts for beach replenishment and back bay dredging.
According to Chief Financial Officer James Craft’s presentation, the back bay dredging account will have a balance of $793,000 when the introduced budget is adopted in April. The borough has been increasing its allocation of funds to the dredging account in preparation for an approaching need for a dredging effort.
