Sand from a $1.86 million dredging and beach replenishment project has collapsed around the jetty at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, creating massive holes in the beach and forcing officials to close off a portion of the area.
The dredged sand was put in place around the jetty as part of a navigation and beach replenishment project for Barnegat Light, said Stephen Schapiro, a state Department of Transportation spokesperson said in a statement.
The navigation project was needed because the High Bar channel in Barnegat Bay was severely shoaled, creating a maritime hazard, Schapiro said.
Last week, holes were discovered in the sand near the jetty – located about 200 feet from historic Barnegat Lighthouse, which remains open.
The cause of the holes has not been determined. The holes in the sand are wide and deep and visitors were told to avoid the beach area, which had been closed since Dec. 14 as a safety precaution.
“If you fell, it’s probably six- to eight-feet deep and then there is the danger of collapsing sand,” said First Responder Bob Selfridge of the Barnegat Light First Aid Squad, who toured the scene.
He said some holes looked like small caves. First responders provided a public safety announcement during the weekend to warn about the holes in the sand.
“The areas of sand along the lighthouse/jetty walkway appears to be unstable,” according to the Facebook post by the Barnegat Light First Aid Squad. “The sand is collapsing. Use extreme caution while walking or simply, avoid the area all together. The holes may not look intimidating but they’re as deep as 6 feet. Buried under the sand is not a situation you want to find yourself in. Please be careful and be safe.”
Selfridge said the PSA, which included photos of the holes, “has become unbelievably one of the most shared PSA’s we have done.”
Schapiro said DOT staff on Jan. 17 “noticed the condition of the sand referenced in the photos and on Jan. 18 and Jan. 19, the contractor addressed the situation.”
The beach has been losing sand due to tidal movement and wave action for some time, DOT said.
Schapiro said the contractor has “put up orange construction fence to block the area while the sand settles.”
DOT moved the construction safety fence after the project berms were graded to minimize the area of beach closed and placed it around the area where the tidal energy was taking the sand, DOT said.
The jetty walkway remains closed. Grading work to address the erosion will continue, according to DOT.
“Our main concern is safety for beachgoers,” Selfridge said. “Since the walkway is closed, people have to walk on the beach parallel to the jetty. There are birders and people who look for shells, or just people who take a walk even in the cold.”
Selfridge said the danger posed by the holes near the lighthouse include sand collapse, a person becoming hypothermic or suffering an injury near the jetty rocks.
The dredging project “removed approximately 25,000 cubic yards of material to restore the channel to a state of good repair and provide boaters safe access for enhanced recreational and commercial activity,” according to Schapiro.
H&L Contracting of Hauppauge, New York, the contractor for the job, placed the dredged material on the beach at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, “where it was needed,” he said.
The state Department of Transportation is coordinating directly with the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Parks and Forestry staff, and NJDOT will be monitoring the situation over the next few weeks, he said.
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Stephanie Loder may be reached at [email protected].
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