Dredging and beachfill underway in Cape May, NJ

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Oak Brook, Ill. has begun dredging and beachfill operations near U.S. Coast Guard Boot Camp in Cape May, N.J.

The project includes dredging over 500,000 cubic yards of sand from a borrow area approximately 2.6 miles south of the Cape May Inlet jetties.

The sand is then pumped onto the beach, and graded into an engineered template, which is designed to reduce damages from coastal storm events.

The periodic nourishment of the Cape May is a joint effort of the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.