STATE OF NEW JERSEY, SANDY HOOK TO BARNEGAT INLET 



The study area comprises the Atlantic Ocean shore line of New 

 Jersey from the north end of Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet, a length of 

 about 51 miles. This stretch of shore lies in Monmouth and Ocean 

 Counties. The principal communities along this shore are Sea Bright, 

 Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, Asbury Park, Point Pleasant Beach, Sea- 

 side Heights, and Seaside Park. The permanent population of the 

 municipalities within the study area is 90,000. The estimated peak 

 summer population is 600,000. The tributary area from which visitors 

 are principally drawn comprises northern New Jersey and portions of 

 southern New York with a total population of about 6,000,000. However, 

 visitors come from all States in the Union. The Sandy Hook section of 

 the study area, 6 miles in length, is owned by the United States and is 

 occupied by the Fort Hancock Reservation. Of the remaining 45 miles of 

 ocean frontage, about 55 percent is publicly owned and 45 percent 

 privately owned. The southern portion extending about 10 miles north 

 from Barnegat Inlet is known as Island Beach. It has been acquired by 

 the State for park purposes. 



On the basis of present need for shore restoration and protection, 

 the shore is divided into five sections as follows: 



a. Sandy Hook Section - For purposes of this report the Sandy 

 Hook section comprises onJ.y the Government Reservation of Fort Hancock, 

 the northern 6 miles of the sand spit extending 11 miles from the head- 

 land at Monmouth Beach. The surface consists principally of low sand 

 dunes. The elevation is about 5 to 10 feet above mean sea level. There 

 is no immediate need for plans of protection of the Government Reserva- 

 tion. If protection becomes necessary, plans therefor may be obtained 

 by the using agency under other available authority. 



b. Sea Bright-Ocean Township Secti on - This section includes 

 Long Branch, the largest city in the study area. It is about 12 miles 

 long comprising 5 miles of sand spit and 7 miles of headland. The bluff 

 adjoining the ocean has an elevation of 10 to 25 feet above mean sea 

 level. The section has had practically a continuous history of erosion. 

 Seawalls, bulkheads and groins have partially stabilized the shore line 

 but the upland is still subject to storm damage. A few beaches exists 

 at the south sides of the larger groins. The section is extensively 

 developed as a summer resort area, but the economy of this section has 

 been adversely affected by lack of protective and recreational beaches. 

 About 23 percent of the shore frontage is publicly owned. 



c. Asbury Park-Manasquan Section - This 9-mile section is 

 part of the headland portion of the coast with bluff elevations of 10 to 

 15 feet above mean sea level. It includes the city of Asbury Park and 

 an intensively developed portion of the study area. As a result of ex- 

 tensive groin construction, protective and recreational beaches have 

 been retained to some extent; however, their widths are generally 



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