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Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) today called on Richard Polo, the Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District, to survey the Shark River Inlet in Belmar, New Jersey. In a letter sent to Commander Polo, Pallone asked that the team examine the river for possible shoaling.
Concerns about this hazard, created when sediment collects in the river bottom creating a shallow area, have heightened since Sunday, May 7, when the Golden Eagle party boat struck a jetty in the inlet. The crash caused damage to the hull of the ship and some minor injuries to passengers on board. Some familiar with the channel have cited shoaling as a potential cause of the accident.
"My office has received recent inquiries from residents and local officials concerned about the status of the inlet," Pallone said in the letter to Commander Polo. "The Coast Guard is currently investigating this crash and while it is not certain whether shoaling was the proximate cause, it would be worthwhile for the Army Corps to send out a crew to examine the inlet as quickly as possible."
The New Jersey lawmaker went on to ask Commander Polo whether the current beach replenishment project in Belmar might be having an impact the inlet. "Residents and local officials are concerned that sand placed on the beach in Belmar is flowing into the inlet and causing a chronic shoaling problem," Pallone said. "Please let me know if you have examined this problem and have any ideas for a long-term solution."
During the fall of 2005, in response to a request from Pallone, the Army Corps dredged the Shark River Inlet, removing areas of shoaling that posed a hazard to boaters. "Unfortunately, it seems that this shoaling may be a chronic problem," Pallone noted. |
