given to Lautenberg Pres' 12696

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Corps Regional Sediment Management and Habitat
Restoration Cape May, NJ
J. Bailey SmithNational Planning Center of
Expertise for Coastal Storm Damage Reduction
25 June 2008
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Philadelphia District Regional Sediment
Management
Regional Sediment Management (RSM) A
systems-based approach to managing sediment
resources within the context of regional
strategies (watershed, estuarine, coastal) that
address integrated sediment needs and
opportunities. Three focus areas - Coastal -
Dredging Disposal - Watershed Sediment
Management
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PhiladelphiaDistrict

• Established 1866
• Delaware River basin
• Parts of 5 states
• 9 million people
• 15,000 square miles
• 150 miles of coastline
• 550 miles Federal channels
• 1.1 million acres of wetlands
• 5 flood control dams
• 1.5 M park visitors/yr
• 1 canal, 5 bridges

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NAP - NJ Shore Protection Projects
KEY Constructed Project (Date Initiated) Not
Yet Authorized
Manasquan Inlet to Barnegat Inlet - 2007
Barnegat Inlet to Little Egg Inlet (LBI)2005
Brigantine Is. 2005
Ocean City - 1992
Absecon Is. - 2003
Great Egg Inlet to Townsends Inlet - 2007
Cape May City - 1990
Avalon Stone Harbor - 2002
Hereford Inlet to Cape May
Lower Cape May Meadows Cape May Point - 2004
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NJDEP-sponsored RSM Study
REGIONAL STRATEGY
IMPROVED SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT
SEDIMENT PATHWAY IDENTIFICATION
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NJDEP-sponsored RSM Study
CAPE MAY SAND RESOURCE INVENTORY
eCOASTAL GIS DATA INVENTORY
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RSM PROGRAM AT CAPE MAY, NJ
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Wildwood
Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
Delaware Bay Coastline Reeds Beach-Pierces Point
Villas and Vicinity
Ecosystem Restoration
U.S. Coast Guard
Cape May Point
Cape May Meadows
Cape May City
Cape May Inlet
Beachfill
Atlantic Ocean
Cape May Coastal Projects
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• NJ Coastal Program
• Shore Protection
• Navigation
• Ecosystem Restoration

Whale Beach, NJ - December 1992
Dredge FryCape May Inlet
Phragmites Eradication, Cape May
Beachfill, Cape May State Park
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October 1991 Coastal Storm
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Lower Cape May Meadows - Cape May Point
Habitat Restoration and Shore Protection
Constructed 2004-07
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Before Beachfill (1994)
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During Beachfill (2004)
After Beachfill (2005)
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Lower Cape May Meadows Study Area
343 acre coastal freshwater wetland composed of
the Cape May Point State Park the Cape May
Migratory Bird Refuge (owned by TNC)
Internationally recognized migratory bird
habitat
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Lower Cape May Meadows Habitat Restoration

Restoration of wetlands
Invasive plant control
Internal hydrology improvements
Beachfill and periodic nourishment
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Wetland Restoration 3/07

Herbicide Spraying
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Water Control Structures

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Modifications to Enhance Plover Nesting and
Feeding Habitat

• Plover crossovers
• Lower berm elevation
• Plover ponds
• Modification of dune fencing/planting
• Habitat vs. Storm Protection

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Piping Plover Ponds

• - Old dune relocated seaward
• - Ponds excavated
• Minimal vegetation planted
• around 1 pond

April 2005
August 2005
Total of 3 ponds created ranging in size from 1-4
acres
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Creation of Plover Habitat at the Cape May
National Wildlife Refuge

• Create an overwash area for piping plovers
  updrift of Cape May Inlet jetties
• No net loss of plover nesting habitat
• Agency collaboration
• Application of habitat creation for other NJ
  beachfill projects

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Before Construction
1/24/07
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During Construction
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New Habitat Area
1/31/07
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New Habitat Area
2/12/07
2/12/07
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Build It and They Will Come

• Until 2007, no recorded nests in Wildlife Refuge
• 2007 nesting occurred but all chicks lost to
  predation
• Birds utilized nesting habitat within a few
  months of creation
• Noreaster flooded out nests in Coast Guard
  beach, but nests in new habitat area survived
• USFWS considers this a success
• and will maintain project in future

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Cape May Habitat Restoration Summary

• Meadows and Wildlife Refuge habitat restoration
  successes
• Collaboration with resource agencies
• Plover restoration features can be effective
  additions to some coastal projects
• Effective balance across business lines and
  regional project integration including shore
  protection, ecosystem restoration and navigation
  projects
• knowledge applied towards developing potential
  strategy for shoreline protection needs