The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted dredging operations at Barnegat Inlet in New Jersey earlier this month.
The work involved removing 60,000 cubic yards of sand and material from the federal channel prior to the summer boating season. The Dredge MURDEN, owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Wilmington District, conducted work in the inlet.
The timing was especially critical as a separate project to repair the inlet’s north jetty requires mooring a barge in the inlet.
“The navigable channel was already tight so it’s important that USACE is dredging the inlet to make transit safer and easier,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class John Kopp from Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, N.J.
The MURDEN is a split-hull shallow draft dredge that can operate in near shore areas along the east coast of the United States. The vessel was officially commissioned in May of 2013 and was designed by a team from USACE’s Marine Design Center and Wilmington District. The MURDEN provides increased capacity enabling USACE to dredge more material from channels in shorter periods of time, said USACE Project Manager Monica Chasten.
The separate north jetty project involves repairing 740 feet of the jetty damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The jetty will be closed to public access for the duration of the project, which is expected to last through the fall of 2014.
The Barnegat Inlet north jetty was first constructed in 1940 and raised in elevation in 1974. The Barnegat Inlet project requires dredging to provide a reliable maritime navigation channel for the U.S. Coast Guard and a large fishing fleet consisting of full-time commercial, charter and recreational vessels.