A waterway dredging project being conducted by the New Jersey Department of Transportation will also restore nearby shoreline habitats as well.
[Above photo by the New Jersey DOT]
The agency said a $1.9 million maintenance dredging project in the Nantuxent Creek Channel located in Downe Township, Cumberland County, aims to restore that waterway to its authorized depth of nine feet at mean low water level to ensure safe navigation in and out of the nearby port. New Jersey DOT said in a statement that it undertook this endeavor as “shoaling” over recent years – the creation of submerged sandbanks or ridges that are exposed at low tide – created
hazardous conditions for commercial fishermen and recreational boaters by narrowing the channel and forming dangerous navigational obstacles.
[Editor’s note: The video below provides an overview of a similar dredging project completed by New Jersey DOT in 2025 for the St. George’s Thoroughfare as part of its Brigantine Chanel Spur project.]
The agency said that this dredging project will also restore the eroded shoreline habitat, improving both ecological and economical function, as well as community resilience at Money Island in Downe Township.
Sand removed from Nantuxent Channel will be transported via pipeline to Money Island Beach and will be placed along approximately 1,800 linear feet of shoreline to create a dune ridge, sand beach, and essential habitat for threatened species, such as the Red Knot and Horseshoe Crab.
New Jersey DOT noted that dredging work is expected to continue 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until project completion – which is expected by early November.
Wildlife and Ecosystems
