Images from Monmouth Beach at the Long Branch border, south of the Bathing Pavilion 7/19/13
I hate beach replenishment, or now as it's called, beach nourishment. I think the Army Corp of Engineers and the NJ DEP are a joke when it comes to this. I believe beach nourishment falls right in line with fish management....it comes down to money and politics. I won't beat my drum in this post because I've said it all before. Look at some of the older posts as I reported on beach replenishment projects- they pump the sand in and up, and Mother Nature takes it back. It's about to happen again.
They're using Sandy as an excuse on why to spend millions upon millions to do "emergency" nourishment. This time it's a little different, the municipalities and the State are off the hook, the feds are footing the whole bill.
Let me break down the current project. It is called the ACOE Emergency Beach Replenishment Project. Over the last six months the feds have asked each municipality to sign on to the project. In doing so, the current beach nourishment will be performed to bring the beaches to before Sandy levels. That, my friends, is a joke, Why- because the "new" project, which will be in four parts, will go from Sea Bright to Manasquan. The first contract is Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach, the second, Belmar to Manasquan, Long Branch (including Elberon), and Asbury Park to Avon. Funny thing is DEal, Allenhurst and Loch Arbor are not included, after all towns voted to go all in. The total monies allocated is 102 million dollars. The current Sea Bright to Monmouth Beach project is another 25 million, that's 75 million we've spent on those towns beaches in the last 4 years.
Just another thing. Look at the image below. Daily fee to use the taxpayer funded beach $9. That is an absolute crime. Natural resource. The beach ffes should be abolished after our 102 million is spent there.
Below are some images taken off or near the groin on the north side of Little Monmouth today July 19, 2013, or the Monmouth Beach Bathing Pavilion. Notice where the sand is, or isn't. This was last replenished in 2011. Then look at images below that post nourishment taken in March 2012, way before Sandy.
These images from March 2012 a few months after the same project that is about to start was completed. Orginally the groin was covered, and notice the six foot drop off.
