State DOT Going Out To Bid For Channel Dredging Projects

“Our state channels are vital waterways that are used by recreational boaters and commercial fisherman,” DOT Commissioner James S. Simpson said.  "Providing safe navigation channels will have a positive economic impact on small businesses such as marinas, bait and tackle shops, and charter companies, as well as New Jersey’s seafood industry.”

Bids for the first project - for the dredging of the Waackaack and Thorns Creeks in Keansburg in Monmouth County - went out today, the DOT said,

"Typically the state would not dredge in the summer, but the new program features an aggressive schedule to maximize efforts during periods of favorable dredging conditions to alleviate hazards to boaters and commercial vessels," according to a DOT press release. "Efforts will be made to ensure work does not unnecessarily impede navigation."

The DOT will also go out to bid in the next several months for the dredging of St. Georges Thorofare in Atlantic County, Cape May Harbor and Middle Thorofare in Cape May County, and Double Creek, Double Creek – Mainland, and Barnegat Light Stake Channels in Barnegat Bay in Ocean County.

"These projects will remove both Sandy-related sediment and pre-storm sediment to alleviate hazards to navigation and return these channels to a state of good repair," the DOT said. "In Cape May, the Middle Thorofare project will ensure New Jersey's commercial fishing industry is able to safely access berths that support the New Jersey seafood industry."

The state will consider such factors as the availability of dredge material management options, channel usage and associated economic value, the level of siltation in the channel, navigational safety, Sandy-related impacts to a channel and the related eligibility for FEMA reimbursement, the release states.

Funding for this program will come from state Transportation Trust Funds and federal sources.  All of these projects are intended to receive some amount of FEMA reimbursement.

"In certain circumstances there may be opportunities for counties, municipalities, marinas and private entities to partner with NJDOT contractors to dredge locally or privately-maintained waterways that adjoin state channels where work is being performed, the release states. "Partnerships could provide a significant cost savings to local or private entities by reducing mobilization costs."

All local and private partners will need to obtain the necessary permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Coastal communities in the state should be looking for local and regional areas for the management of dredged material, according to the DOT.

"The single most important logistical aspect of a dredging project is the ability to safely and efficiently manage the dredged material," the release states.