PHILADELPHIA -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District shared an update regarding upcoming maintenance dredging of the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway.
In mid-January, the Army Corps’ contractor Barnegat Bay Dredging Company of Harvey Cedars, N.J. will begin dredging the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway federal channel between markers 152 to 163 (west of Brigantine, N.J.). The sediment will be beneficially used to enhance salt marsh at the East Pool at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Dredging operations will cease on Jan 31 due to environmental restrictions, but site work is expected to continue until mid-February. Dredging will take place again in Fall 2026 in this same area and nearby areas to continue to clear shoaling that impacts maritime navigation.
Boaters should check U.S. Coast Guard notice to mariners and be aware of the hydraulic pipeline dredge and associated equipment in the waterway. During dredging and placement operations, motor vehicle traffic will operate normally along Wildlife Drive in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (although there may short periods where access is restricted during set up and mobilization). Refuge visitors are asked to proceed with caution when driving near equipment and pipeline.
This operation is part of a contract that will involve dredging in other portions of the 117-mile New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway. In February, Barnegat Bay Dredging Company will commence dredging between channel markers 386 to 399 (west of Stone Harbor). In the Spring and Summer, work will proceed to the Cape May Ferry channel and Cape May Harbor.
About Beneficial Use in the USACE Philadelphia District
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District maintains several hundred miles of navigation channels across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. When dredged sediment is clean, USACE looks for opportunities to use the material beneficially. Examples include restoring degraded marsh and creating islands, which can provide critical habitat for wildlife, enhance coastal resiliency, and support improved access and availability to hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities.
The USACE Philadelphia District and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have been collaborating over the last decade to identify potential marsh enhancement and restoration projects at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and other Refuges including Supawna Meadows in Salem County.
About the Placement Area
The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a 48,000-acre refuge in Ocean, Burlington, and Atlantic counties. The Refuge contains over 32,000 acres of tidal saltmarsh and staff conducts inventory, monitoring, and research with partners to better understand coastal ecosystems and change on the landscape. The Refuge was established to provide protected wintering grounds for the American black duck, and it remains an important site for that species and many other species of wildlife and plants. The East Pool has been gradually converting to salt marsh since Hurricane Sandy impacted the site in 2012, and the influx of clean sediment from the Intracoastal Waterway will help to accelerate the restoration of salt marsh habitat for the benefit of many species of wildlife, such as American black ducks and other waterfowl, shorebirds, salt marsh sparrows, and black rails.