EXCLUSIVE: Smith secures $50M in federal funding for new dredger

Yesterday’s House-passed FY26 Energy & Water Appropriations Act (HR 4553) included $50 million in dedicated funds for a new shallow draft dredging vessel, which Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) specifically sought to address dangerous shoaling issues at the Manasquan Inlet and other locations.

“A vote ‘NO’ on this bill would have been a vote against a desperately needed new dredger for the Manasquan and Shark River Inlets and the economy of the Jersey Shore,” Smith said.   

“Categorized as a dynamic inlet with strong tides, regularly shifting sands that create very dangerous shoaling, sand bars, and wave action, the Manasquan Inlet can become treacherous – and at times impassible – for both commercial and recreational boaters. The threat to life and the grave economic impact the shoaling has on NJ’s fishing industry demand a long-term, sustainable solution.”  

“We have been fighting for years for a new dredger, and this bill will make that a reality.”

Historically, there have been only two government-owned, shallow-draft dredges serving the East Coast from Galveston, TX to Maine – the Murden and the Currituck. 

The Currituck, the oldest dredging vessel owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, has been out of service for several years, leaving only the Murden available to dredge inlets and ports along thousands of miles of shoreline.