Crews begin restoring severely eroded beaches at Ortley Beach
A rough winter full of coastal storms carved away last year's temporary fix and once again left cliffs and little usable beach in its wake.
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Heavy equipment returned to the Ortley Beach section of Toms River this week to help repair and widen the severely eroded beaches and dune crosswalks.
The big trucks are back - at a cost of nearly $350,000.
A rough winter full of coastal storms carved away last year's temporary fix and once again left cliffs and little usable beach in its wake.
Ortley Beach was destroyed in Superstorm Sandy, and when the Army Corps of Engineers federal beach replenishment project got underway a few years after, the dunes in Ortley Beach jutted out because of privately owned condominiums. Since then, it's become a trouble spot, costing Toms River Township close to $1.5 million of its own money for quick fixes. Some locals say enough is enough with the spending.
"It's crazy. It's really unnecessary. We really need something other than sand to protect us every winter this happens," said resident Catherine Perna.
Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick wrote in a statement, "It's costing the township $350,000 to replenish the beaches this year and that's for just one round of replenishment. There have been years where it's cost us three times that. I'd like to work with the DEP and Army Corps of Engineers to come up with a permanent solution. Other states and countries have had great success with Nearshore reefs just a few hundred yards off of shore, but even some groins would be helpful."
Another federal round of beach replenishment is scheduled for the Ortley Beach area. Crews are expected to reshape the dunes further inland towards the boardwalk.
