Ocean Grove beach. October, 2013. Paul Goldfinger photo.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor 
@Blogfinger Thursday, October 30, 2013.

At last 
night’s OGCMA 
project review, Bill Bailey spoke of the forthcoming 
beach 
replenishment project. He said that originally the Army Corp
 of Engineers was supposed to begin work in Manasquan and head north 
to Asbury Park.
 But he thought that the action might actually
 begin in AP and
 go south.  He said that the work would
 probably begin after 
January 1, 2014. The plan is to also build a
 continuous dune that
 would run lengthwise.  The design takes 
into consideration the bad 
results that occurred during Sandy
 where dunes were not continuous. Note that our 
dunes at the north 
end are in fine condition and are “the best 
dunes on the Shore.”
 They will not be replaced.

Dune 
engineering is a complex
 process, and Neptune Township’s 
engineering consultants (Avakian 
Co.) will be monitoring the work
 to be done in the Grove. He said 
that the ACE gained considerable
 experience with dunes after 
Katrina and other storms.
 However, it appears that the ACE
 will not be building the Jersey Shore dunes, so other arrangements 
will be made. Note that the dunes will have 
handicap access onto
 the beach.

Mr. Bailey emphasized that dunes
 must be properly 
engineered and constructed. “We want to do the 
project right,” he
 said.  “We will not rush, and our dunes 
will be built to last
  by professionals. The process is slow, and
 the roots have to go
 deep.” Dune grass will be planted including
 some being grown on 
the rooftops of Neptune schools.  The 
students are “very 
excited” about the project. It will teach them 
about helping 
others and it “shows community spirit.”
 Currently there is a
 shortage of dune grass.

Today we heard 
from Linda and Mike Oakes
 of Ocean Grove who sent us a link to the
 ACE web site where you
 can read about the contract for our work 
that was awarded to a
 company from Illinois: Great Lakes Dredge and
 Dock Company.
 This article is very interesting. I recommend 
that we all
 read it. Link
 to ACE
 announcement 

Mr. Bailey was proud of 
the work done in
 the last two weeks when the final removal of
 boardwalk pilings was
 completed.  They used heavy equipment to
 pull out the entire
 pilings instead of cutting them off.  These 
were 25 to 30 
feet long. Some of them go back to the ’40’s and
’50’s. One piling
 consisted of an entire tree with the branches
 removed.  He 
said that the beach “now looks beautiful” and is
 ready for the
 sand project.

You will
 notice a “series” of double snow fence along the middle
 beach. This is to protect beachgoers from the corrugated
 metal bulkhead (“the steel wall”) which is underground, but
 near the 
surface. The fence arrangement will also hinder the sand
 from 
blowing back across Ocean Avenue.

SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY, who was born in Ocean Grove, and the POOR FOOLS.
Album:  Songs From the Barn
:  “Beneath Still Waters.”
[audio http://blogfinger.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/09-beneath-still-waters.mp3]