This briefing synthesizes the key components, conditions, and authorizations for the City of Margate’s ten-year back bay maintenance dredging project.
The project is authorized by permits from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to restore navigational depths in key Downbeach waterways.
The Margate city-wide dredge project encompasses the mechanical and/or hydraulic dredging of approximately 490,690 cubic yards of sediment from 56.9 acres across the Orient Canal, Sunset Canal, Bayshore Lagoon, and Beach Thorofare.
The authorized dredging depth is five feet below Mean Low Water (-5′ MLW), with one foot of allowable overdredge.
All dredged material is designated for beneficial reuse as an agricultural soil amendment at two approved upland sites: Tuckahoe Turf Farm and Surran’s Soil Replenishment, LLC.
The project is governed by strict environmental and operational conditions, including seasonal work restrictions to protect fish species.
Notably, the USACE imposes more stringent and geographically specific seasonal restrictions than the NJDEP. A significant discrepancy exists between the permits regarding the handling of dewatering overflow from barges: the NJDEP permit prohibits it, while the USACE permit explicitly authorizes it.
The NJDEP permit is effective from November 21, 2025, to November 20, 2030, while the USACE authorization extends for a ten-year period, ending on December 31, 2036.
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