Pallone Announces Agreement on Flume That Provides Herring Population Access to Deal Lake

Long Branch, N.J. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today announced a new engineering plan for the Deal Lake Flume that would allow the herring population access to Deal Lake, but would not affect wave patterns. The agreement was reached last Friday at a meeting at Pallone's Long Branch office between the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Asbury Park Fishing Club, the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, and the Shark River Surf Anglers. The attendees also discussed the need to address contamination and water flow problems at Wreck Pond in Spring Lake.

Over the last couple of years, the flume has caused a build-up of sand which blocks the pathway needed by fish to spawn. The new design would extend the flume inside the already existing jetty. This would prevent any disruption of wave patterns along the beachfront and, at the same time, solve the blockage problem by keeping the flume clear of sediment buildup along the jetty. Once construction's completed, fishermen will be granted complete access to fish off the jetty.

"I'm very pleased that we've finally reached an agreement on the Deal Lake Flume," Pallone said. "Extending the flume within the existing jetty will provide the important herring population a passage to Deal Lake without impacting the recreational needs of the community."

DEP official John Garofalo said that pending approval of the proposal by the State Division of Fish and Game, DEP will begin construction on the flume in the fall, so as not to disrupt fishing from the jetty over the summer. Pallone has been assured that construction will be completed before the herring spawn in Deal Lake next spring.

In the meantime, representatives from the Asbury Park Fishing Club have agreed to keep the DEP informed if any problems develop with the flume this spring. While there does not seem to be any problems right now, the DEP agreed to send a crew to dig a pathway for the herring to reach the ocean whenever there's a problem.

The fishermen also voiced concern about continued pollution at Wreck Pond and the need to address sand buildup in the flume that is blocking the herring run. Pallone told the fishermen that he is working with U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and the DEP to address issues regarding Wreck Pond, including the sand buildup in the flume. DEP and Pallone are waiting for the results of sediment analysis now being completed by DEP in order to better understand the pollution problems and device possible solutions.