AVALON – At the Jan. 25 Avalon Borough Council meeting, Business Administrator Scott Wahl gave the most likely schedule for the start of the 2023 Seven Mile Island beach replenishment.
Beginning with survey work and mobilization in the early weeks of March, the actual pumping of sand from Townsend’s Inlet onto Avalon beaches is expected to begin around March 20.
Wahl spoke of the latest information gathered at a meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection early that same day.
According to Wahl’s report of the meeting, Avalon will receive its sand first, with Stone Harbor beginning after the Avalon fill is complete. This sequence is driven by the fact that Stone Harbor is getting its sand from Townsend’s Inlet through a much longer underwater pipe that will run most of the length of the island and make use of two booster pumps.
The odd arrangement is a product of a ban imposed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife on the use of federal funds for mining sand from the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) protection of Hereford Inlet sand for use in beach fills. The ban is based on the Fish and Wildlife interpretation of limitations imposed by the 1982 CBRA statute.
The base award for the beach fill in Avalon calls for 231 cubic yards of sand deposited on the borough’s eroded north-end beaches. The bidding process also included four options for increased sand amounts at various price points.
Wahl said that Avalon would proceed with the options raising the amount of sand on its beaches to 581 cubic yards. That decision will extend the completion of the beach fill in Avalon to late April.
In Avalon, the sand will be concentrated on beaches to the north of 20th street, but some beach fill will occur as far south as 32nd Street. Stopping only for weather or mechanical delays, the fill will occur 24 hours per day, seven days a week until completing.
Wahl advised the public that beaches will be opened and closed during the process, with a mandatory 1,000-foot closing of a beach receiving sand. Frequent updates on the status of the project and which beaches are open or closed will be available on the borough’s website. Dune repair, crossover construction and dune grass work are all a part of the project.
Wahl emphasized that the schedule is subject to change as the work is done. He also reminded the public that the goal of the beach fill is to restore the beaches to a federal beach template designed for protection of people and property.
Thoughts? Questions? Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
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