Stone Harbor works with the Coastal Research Center (CRC) of Stockton University to conduct semi-annual surveys that document changes to our municipal beach due to storms and coastal erosion.  For the benefit of members of the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association (SHPOA), below is a summary of CRC’s 2020 (20 page) spring report. 

On April 15 and 16, 2020 the CRC performed the first of two surveys of our beaches for 2020. Changes to the beaches are determined by comparing the status of beaches in October 2019 vs. April 2020. The monitoring sites are located at the following eight beach areas:  

82nd Street (up to border with Avalon)
90th Street
95th Street
103rd Street
108th Street
112th Street
116th Street
123rd Street to the terminal groin (rock jetty)
 

A bit of history:  In 2017, the NJ Division of Coastal Engineering and the US Army Core of Engineers (“USACE”) combined efforts to provide 714,000 cubic yards of new sand supply which was dredged from Townsend Inlet and Hereford Inlet (using state and federal dollars).  Winter and early spring storms can cause significant erosion to dunes and beaches, consequently Stone Harbor closely monitors changes to our beaches in anticipation of potential re-nourishment requirements. 

In the 2018/19 winter season, we lost 95,825 cubic yards of sand across our shoreline. The 2019/20 season however was relatively calm and storm damage was minor. The net winter seasonal sand volume change was essentially flat. Four sites experienced shoreline retreat, with four locations gaining. 

The beaches did grow vertically, which is good news. 22,734 cubic yards of sand were added to the berms and dunes with all but two beaches showing net gains. 

In summary, our beaches today are in good shape, but remain vulnerable to strong storm seasons. Our shore has been punished for 10 days in May and now with a new June storm with high winds and wave action—-we do not have those results but can anticipate some sand loss as a result. If next year’s storms return to historic patterns—November to April Nor’easters, we should be prepared to ask for some beach re-nourishment in late Spring early summer.
 
Click on this link to view the full report from the Coastal Research Center.