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Department of Environmental Protection [DEP] Commissioner Bob Martin announced a $1.66 million contract to remove sand pushed by Superstorm Sandy into Deal Lake has been awarded to Tri-State Dredging of Philadelphia.

The project, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service [NRCS], will dredge 12,000 cubic yards of material.

The NRCS is providing more than $1.5 million through its Emergency Watershed Protection program, with the  DEP providing a $154,600 matching grant.

“We are very pleased to be moving forward with the Deal Lake dredging project, which is the latest in series of projects the Christie Administration is undertaking to restore this region’s network of unique coastal lakes that were severely impacted by Superstorm Sandy,” Martin said in a written news release. “The nonprofit Deal Lake Commission has been a key partner in coordinating and raising awareness for the need for this project, which will focus on removing silt and sand from six acres of the easternmost portion of the lake.”

The sand removal will restore natural flushing of the lake by removing sand adjacent to the ‘flume’ gatehouse that currently restricts tidal flow.

“The removal of storm surge sediments from Deal Lake is the last of 17 recovery projects funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service following Hurricane Sandy,” NRCS State Director Carrie Lindig said.  “This work will benefit the surrounding communities and help to restore the lower portion of Deal Lake.”

For Deal Lake Commission Chairman Don Brockel, it’s been a battle hard fought through months of letter writing campaigns and public events to bring attention to the Lake’s issues.

The project will reduce flooding and its impacts, improve water quality and reopen recreational opportunities on the lake, long popular among boaters, anglers, canoeists, kayakers, paddle boaters and nature lovers, Brockel said.

“This is wonderful news,” he said. “It has been a long road back for Deal Lake from Superstorm Sandy.”

Brockel said the Commission worked closely with the NJDEP, the NRCS, and the City of Asbury Park to secure the dredging funds.

“We hope this will be the first of many other dredging projects that can make Deal Lake more flood resilient and to fully restore it back to pre-Sandy conditions,” he said.

The dredging project is expected to kickoff next month and will about 90 days to complete, under permits issued by the DEP and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Martin said the work has been scheduled for the fall to avoid impacts on local roadways and summer tourism. This portion of the lake will be restored to a depth of four feet.

Asbury Park Mayor John Moor said the dredging project’s staging area will sit on city land south of the flume an the grassy area. There is a City Council mandated route in and out of Asbury Park with dewatering sites in other communities, Moor said.

“This is an important first step because if they want to do this in other communities they will be judged on how well they do here,” Moor said. “This will be for the most eastern part of the lake, a third to a quarter of the area from the bridge to the flume.”

Deal Lake is a 158-acre manmade body of water with 12.5 miles of shoreline that runs through Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Deal, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Neptune and Ocean Township.

“I fought hard in Congress for Sandy recovery funds, and I am so glad that they are continuing to go towards projects to rebuild and preserve communities in central New Jersey,” said U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone Jr.  “When Sandy struck, storm surge sediments were pushed into Deal Lake, making it more flood-prone and restricting access for recreational activities.  This project is a major victory for the surrounding community and the many New Jersey residents who visit the lake.  I am fully committed to continuing to fight for additional Sandy relief funding to replenish and restore our state.”

Initial restoration work took place just after Sandy with the removal of tons of debris, including splintered wood from docks, trees and mangled pieces of structures. The flume gate house also was restored.

For information about the Deal Lake Commission, including a history of the lake and updates on its recovery, visit http://www.deallake.org/.

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