STONE HARBOR – Stone Harbor’s coastal engineer, Douglas Gaffney, told Borough Council that the plan for beach nourishment for the borough this year is to make use of sand mined from Townsend’s Inlet at the other end of Seven Mile Island.
There is still an interpretation by U.S. Fish and Wildlife that says the Coastal Barrier Resource Act of 1982 forbids the use of federal funds for mining sand in Hereford Inlet for use in the nourishment of Stone Harbor beaches.
In response to a question from Councilwoman Bunny Parzych, Gaffney said, “The plan now is that all the material for the beach fills for Avalon and Stone Harbor will come from Townsend’s Inlet.”
Gaffney presented the strategy as a settled issue, which was news to Parzych. Gaffney added that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will engage in the traditional cost-sharing arrangement.
According to the DEP Division of Coastal Engineering, the cost-share arrangement normally has the federal government contributing 65%, with the state providing the remaining 35%. Within New Jersey, that 35% share is split, with the state paying 75% of it and the municipality paying 25%. That works out to between 8% and 9% of the cost to be covered by the municipality.
Gaffney’s response included two variables that may impact how much sand will be provided to each municipality. He noted that the high cost of fuel has doubled the price for each cubic yard of sand.
“If you were paying $10 per cubic yard the last time, you will be paying close to $20 now,” he said.
Gaffney also pointed to the fact that there is a set appropriation that must be allocated to the areas of greatest need based on Army Corps beach surveys. Gaffney admitted that he was not sure of the amount while at the podium. An email from Avalon’s beach consultants states that the federal earmark for the project is $15.5 million.
Avalon’s consultants, Warwick Group Consultants, in Washington, D.C., said that Avalon will have the benefit of an additional $3 million requested by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd) specifically aimed at “a little bit more sand” for Avalon to ensure a “complete beach fill.” This would bring the total for the project to $18.5 million, with $3 million of that total specifically aimed at Avalon beaches.
Gaffney’s presentation noted that the strategy that will be used relies exclusively on sand from Townsend’s Inlet, making the task of moving the sand the length of the island more expensive. Adding that to a cost per cubic yard that has doubled, the project has two cost inflators that must then contend with a fixed appropriation, as the Army Corps develops a design for the beach fill.
Warwick Consultants said “the Corps Work Plan” has come out. Now, the task of determining how much sand goes where gets underway. Gaffney said specifics are not yet available.
Aside from the beach nourishment, Stone Harbor has a full plate of beach-related tasks underway. The borough’s general permit (GP) for beach maintenance is set to expire in September. An effort will be made to secure a new beach maintenance general permit. Simultaneously, the borough will seek an individual permit (IP), which may take several months longer to obtain. The IP will give the borough greater flexibility in how it addresses beach issues.
Gaffney also referred to a feasibility study he proposed several weeks ago. He presented the feasibility study proposal, complete with a numeric model, as a way to systematically consider a range of actions that might better protect the municipality’s beaches from erosion. He also indicated that such a study and model could supply the data needed for permits that may be necessary for future projects.
Administrator Robert Smith told the council that he hoped to have a defined feasibility study for the council’s consideration at the next meeting. The proposal now sits with the council’s standing committee on administration and finance.
“It’s a lot of money,” Smith said, and the committee needs to vet it before it comes to the full council.
The good news in Gaffney’s report to the council was that a strategy has been identified that will allow Stone Harbor to benefit from the upcoming round of federally sponsored beach nourishment. The details and the costs are not yet available.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
