STRATHMERE – “This is an issue that affects all parts of Upper Township, from Strathmere to Tuckahoe to Beesley’s Point, and I applaud the Strathmere Fishing and Environmental Club for taking the initiative to invite us here to see for ourselves this significant back bay erosion,” said Upper Township Mayor Curtis Corson.
He was speaking March 26 at the boat ramp in Strathmere, south of the Deauville Inn, on Bayview Avenue towards Whale Creek. The location is the site of 40 to 70 feet of shoreline loss from the 1970s to 2020 (see accompanying photo).
Corson, joined by Upper Township Committee member Kim Hayes and engineer Paul Dietrich, added, “We’re having a good conversation about what needs to be done because it’s clear we need to take action. This is a site that is easily accessible from the street; we don’t need to get to the area from a barge, like in Beesley’s Point. We have funds in the budget for a feasibility study, so we can move forward with that right away.”
“If we spend a nickel, we’ll get back a dollar worth of investment and we’ll stop the erosion of our back bays, which are so important to the overall shore security of all parts of Cape May County,” said Wayne Thomas, vice president, Strathmere Fishing and Environmental Club, as well as an engineer with Kievit, a residential and commercial construction services company.
The club was the initiator of the March 26 visual briefing for members of Upper Township’s governing body at the boat ramp.
“Many times, the focus is on beach replenishment, which can be understandable given the importance of healthy beaches for residents and tourists alike,” explained Thomas, “but the protection, restoration, and resiliency of the back bays and marshlands in Strathmere, Tuckahoe, and at the B.L. England site, in Beesley’s Point, just in the township alone and throughout other locations in the county, in the face of sea level rise, has to be of critical focus, too.”
At the boat ramp location, club members pointed out to Upper’s elected officials the graphic difference in shoreline loss to spur collaboration among all stakeholders to act.
“There are funds and grants available to further resiliency measures and we don’t want to miss out on these,” advised Thomas. “While there is no quick fix, the sooner we start, the better, and the township could use the funding for preliminary engineering to put Upper into a good position for actual project implementation.
“We also are seeing power developers with offshore wind arrays looking to our township to connect to the grid and these companies may be additional sources of funding to protect our back bays and marshlands. By doing so, we ensure that our barrier islands are around for the long term and protect the environment, as well as property values.
“Beach erosion is important, but without securing the back bays, including with resiliency measures against sea level rise, we can’t stop the losses we see with the boat ramp. Returning dredged spoils and possibly constructing eventual rock jetties and sea walls could be part of the solution,” Thomas noted.
According to Dietrich, grants are highly competitive to win, and frequently to be successful a feasibility study already needs to have been completed.
“We’re fortunate that we have in the budget $30,000 earmarked for this type of feasibility study to shore up and raise the berm by the boat ramp, which will allow aquatic marsh grasses to flourish and not get damaged from floodwaters. That will put the township into a good position to compete for funding for actual construction to completion of the project,” Dietrich said.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
