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Corps Regional Sediment Management and Habitat Restoration: Cape May, NJ

Corps Regional Sediment Management and Habitat Restoration: Cape May, NJ. J. Bailey Smith National Planning Center of Expertise for Coastal Storm Damage Reduction. 25 June 2008. Philadelphia District Regional Sediment Management. Regional Sediment Management (RSM)

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Corps Regional Sediment Management and Habitat Restoration: Cape May, NJ

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  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. NJDEP-sponsored RSM Study REGIONAL STRATEGY IMPROVED SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT SEDIMENT PATHWAY IDENTIFICATION

  6. NJDEP-sponsored RSM Study CAPE MAY SAND RESOURCE INVENTORY eCOASTAL GIS DATA INVENTORY

  7. RSM PROGRAM AT CAPE MAY, NJ

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. October 1991 Coastal Storm

  11. Lower Cape May Meadows - Cape May Point Habitat Restoration and Shore Protection Constructed 2004-07

  12. Before Beachfill (1994)

  13. During Beachfill (2004) After Beachfill (2005)

  14. 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**

  15. Lower Cape May Meadows Habitat Restoration Restoration of wetlands Invasive plant control Beachfill and periodic nourishment Internal hydrology improvements

  16. Wetland Restoration 3/07 Herbicide Spraying

  17. Water Control Structures

  18. Modifications to Enhance Plover Nesting and Feeding Habitat • Plover crossovers • Lower berm elevation • “Plover” ponds • Modification of dune fencing/planting • Habitat vs. Storm Protection

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. Before Construction 1/24/07

  22. During Construction

  23. New Habitat Area 1/31/07

  24. New Habitat Area 2/12/07 2/12/07

  25. 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 • Nor’easter 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

  26. 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

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