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While we dodged a bullet during last week’s nor’easter, a few inches more of rainfall would have caused flood damage to nearby properties, said Deal Lake Commission Chairman Don Brockel.

During “the latest northeaster, ocean water poured into Deal Lake 2-3 hours before and after high tide,” Brockel said. The lake “just got pounded by 50 mph winds and ocean surges that resulted in adding tons of sand via air and water to the lake.”

And while last week’s news that a $1.66 million dredging will remove 12,000 cubic yards of sand pushed into the 158-acre lake during Superstorm Sandy, it is the tip of the needed iceberg size fix.

At the top of the list is a means to shut off ocean waters during large storms.

“We are not talking about a new gate house, but rather a surge gate or one way baffle on our outfall line closer to the ocean within our current surge chamber location,” Brockel said.

But those costs, which would include additional dredging, run within the $7 to $9 million range.

In their proposal for a $5.9 million grant under the Department of Environmental Protection’s [DEP] Flood Hazard Risk Reduction and Resiliency Grant Program, the Commission voiced the need to double the manmade waterway’s capacity.

“A few months ago the DLC teamed up with the City of Asbury Park to finish what the NRCS grant started,” Brockel said. “Sadly, we did not receive this much needed grant, but the DEP did meet with our team and discussed some ways to strengthen our next submission.”

The DLC next submission to the DEP  will include additional storm resilient features that will minimize blowing sand, trap water borne sand, slow ocean surges” , and dredge additional Sandy affected areas, Brockel said.

“One item that will be critical is a surge gate,” Brockel said.

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