The dredge boat Liberty Island, in support of beach replenishment off Long Beach Island, NJ. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The venerable dredge boat Liberty Island and the new state-of-the-art hopper dredge Galveston Island have arrived off the coast of Ocean County, as well as several support vessels, but local officials said the long-awaited beach replenishment project could be delayed by a few days if a winter storm moves through the area.
The project was slated to officially begin Monday, and the Liberty Island arrived on time. It spent the majority of the day moving up and down the coast between Manasquan and Barnegat inlets, with Seaside Heights first in line to receive beach renourishment. Crews often work 24 hours per day. Even after midnight Tuesday, Liberty Island was positioned just off Seaside Heights and Galveston Island was underway heading south off Manasquan Inlet.
Along with the two dredge boats, several other vessels were in the area to support the project. The Capt. Willie Landers, a tug, was anchored just off the beach in Seaside Heights, while the Caspian Dawn and Maverick were both underway off Barnegat Inlet. A boat recognizable to those who have seen previous replenishment projects, the St. John’s River, a crew tender that shuttles workers between the shore and the large dredge boats, was docked near the U.S. Coast Guard station in Barnegat Light.
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Galveston Island off Ocean County, along with other vessels involved in beach replenishment (shaded in aqua blue), Feb. 11, 2025. (Credit: MarineTraffic)
Shorebeat is planning an article to be published later this week more deeply describing the roles of each of the vessels involved in the federal project.
The work schedule as initially announced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers includes:
- Seaside Heights (with taper into Seaside Park): 241,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in early February.
- Ortley Beach: 426,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in February/March.
- Lavallette: 184,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in March.
- Bay Head (with taper into Point Pleasant Beach): 495,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in spring.
- Mantoloking: 392,000 cubic yards of sand work is estimated to take place in Spring.
- Brick Township: 227,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in early Summer.
- Toms River (North Beaches): 135,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in Summer.
Replenishment will not occur on Seaside Park’s municipal beaches, as local officials determined the project could undermine its local dune system and was not needed, however the area of Funtown Beach, which is privately owned, will be replenished as part of the “taper” to shore up the replenishment in Seaside Heights. South Seaside Park will receive replenishment as well.
Sand will be dredged from three separate approved borrow areas located offshore of the project area in the Atlantic Ocean. The sand is then pumped onto the beach through a network of pipes that run to shore, and graded into an engineered template, which is designed to reduce damages from coastal storm events.
Though all of the vessels are in place and pipes have already been anchored in the water off local beaches, there is a chance there could be a delay by a few days before sand is actively being pumped onshore. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 7 p.m. Wednesday, calling for 3 to 5 inches of snow. Seas will remain calm for most of Tuesday, but waves will build to 3-5 feet on Wednesday as winds reach about 20 knots. By Wednesday night, seas will build to 5 to 8 feet with winds up to 30 knots. Seas will remain on the heavy side Thursday, but begin to taper down during the day, with calmer waters forecast for Friday and into the weekend.
The work is being performed by the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, of Houston, Tx., which was awarded a $73.5 million contract by the Army Corps for the project.
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