Many visitors to northern Ocean County are asking “Where’s the beach?”

Delayed replenishment projects in Ortley Beach and Bay Head are leaving people frustrated.

“We were shocked the first day we came down to the beach, said Mattea Battista from Westchester, who is renting a home in Ortley Beach for the week.

A tight squeeze – a steep walk – and at high tide, barely enough flat sand to fit a couple of chairs.

“They have to do something, to be honest. It’s such a short beach and we see the old people and it’s brutal for them,” said Laurie O’Sullivan, visiting Ortley Beach from West Caldwell.

Erosion on select northern Ocean County beaches is made worse by more delays by the Army Corps of Engineers. It will be at least another few weeks until more long-term plans are known.

“It was almost like stadium seating, literally, literally,” added O’Sullivan.

Over the last four years, Toms River Township has spent well over $1 million on doing what they can to build the eroded beaches back in time for summer. Further north towns like Bay Head are also experiencing problems.

“I think it could very well impact the economy of Bay Head,” said Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis. “Let us advise what we think could be done. They could do a lot of things, we need to get our jetties repaired.”

“The predominant wind in the summer is southeast. All of our sand is going up into Jenkinson’s at the inlet. That’s the widest beach in Ocean County,” said Bay Head Beach Supervisor Hank Handchen.

A spokesperson for the United States Army Corps of Engineers says they just wrapped up the latest round in the bidding process and will have a better idea of the dredging schedule by September.

“If they want to keep everybody coming back like I said I’ll always come back but some people may not want to,” said Battista.

What they’ll return to remains to be seen.