Barnegat Inlet funds cut in Senate 2007 Bill

News - November 6, 2007

The operation and maintenance of Barnegat Inlet in Ocean County, New Jersey, is so important to safe navigation of the notoriously dangerous inlet, that the "$1 million in the US Senate 2008 federal budget may not be enough, Congressman Jim Saxton (NJ-03) said earlier this week.

"The glass is literally half full here," Saxton said. "I’m grateful there’s some funding in the Senate bill. But I will ask the House conferees to consider the strong case for the higher amount. I will continue to try to persuade the Senate-House conference to approve sufficient dredging funds."

Saxton successfully added US$2 million to the 2008 Energy and Water legislation, which was approved by the House in July. The full Senate has not passed a bill, but one did pass in the Appropriations Committee in June.

Details, including Barnegat Inlet’s $1 million, were not released until October. A House and Senate conference is expected to hammer out a final compromise bill.

"This is not pork," Saxton said. "We have recently seen an increase in boat groundings in the inlet. People are at risk. Our commercial fishermen work long days at sea to bring monkfish, scallops, and other seafood to the tables across America. Their boats are the means of their livelihood."

Because the 2008 budget originally included only US$54,000 for O&M of the inlet, Saxton appealed to Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Peter Visclosky, D-Ind, and Ranking Member David Hobson, to add more funds for the US Army Corps of Engineers project.

Under the House plan, Barnegat Inlet is slated to receive US$2,054,000.

Barnegat inlet is approved to be at a depth of 10 feet. Regular dredging is required due to severe shoaling. A commercial fishing fleet operates out of several marinas, as do numerous commercial charter fishing vessels and private recreational boats. Barnegat Light is 31st among the nations commercial fishing communities.
The narrow inlet sees fast currents and rapid shoaling, and requires sufficient depth to provide safe passage. Without adequate dredging, the threat of vessel groundings in the channel increase.