Pallone: Army Corps Plans to Begin Dredging Shark River Inlet on May 25th

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) announced today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin dredging the Shark River Inlet on May 25th to address shoaling concerns that were discovered last month. The New Jersey congressman said the Army Corps plans to spend 10 days dredging the Inlet.

Last month, Pallone urged the Army Corps to dredge the Inlet after he heard from local mariners who were having trouble navigating the Shark River Inlet.

"I commend the Army Corps for planning to address the shoaling problem in an expeditious manner," Pallone said. "With the summer season right around the corner, we need to ensure the Shark River Inlet is deep enough for our boaters to safely navigate. The ten-day dredging project should eliminate the shoaling problem for the summer. I hope the Army Corps will also explore possible solutions to slow down the shoaling process in the future so that it isn't necessary to dredge the Inlet several times a year."

The New Jersey congressman was particularly concerned that an Army Corps survey in March showed that the Inlet was only about eight to ten feet deep. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last dredged the Shark River Inlet in December 2007, deepening the inlet to 16 to 18 feet, after Pallone requested that the federal agency do so. The request was made after the New Jersey congressman heard similar concerns from constituents to those that are currently being voiced.