Project DescriptionOur coasts are dynamic. Natural processes continually act upon our shorelines altering their shape and position. These recurrent changes are punctuated by storm events that further reshape our shores, and potentially damage our homes, businesses, and infrastructure. With rising sea levels and the threat of more severe storms due to climate change, it is essential that we establish more resilient coastal areas. By restoring nature and better facilitating natural processes, we can create coastal communities more resistant to damage and better able to recover from destructive events.
This project builds upon previous restoration work to further increase the ecological and community resiliency in and around Wreck Pond, a 73-acre coastal lake located on the border of Spring Lake and Sea Girt, NJ. The project involves the construction of a 5.5’ x 8’ x 600’ concrete box culvert to serve as a secondary connection between Wreck Pond and the Atlantic Ocean, the installation of an elevated berm and approximately 6000’ of living shoreline around Wreck Pond and Black Creek, and the dredging of 37,000 cubic yards of sediment from Wreck Pond. The project is designed to restore the aquatic connectivity between Wreck Pond and the Atlantic Ocean, remove the buildup of sediment, and create more natural shorelines. These project components will work together to improve the passage of fishes (particularly river herring and American eel) into and out of Wreck Pond, reduce the risk of flooding to surrounding communities, and improve water quality, resulting in a healthier, more diverse, and more resilient ecosystem. Project work began in June 2014. The culvert was completed in November 2016. Dredging was completed in December 2016. |
The work at Wreck Pond is being completed by a multitude of partners with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Borough of Spring Lake, N.J. Department of Environmental Protection, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition to the aforementioned, partners include the American Littoral Society, US Army Corps of Engineers, Monmouth County, Monmouth University, Najarian Associates, and Leon S. Avakian Inc.
WreckPond.org is a project specific website updated and maintained by the American Littoral Society. 
Wreck Pond Location |
Project Background
Project Background
Wreck Pond serves as the eastern extent of the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed, which is home to over 12 square miles of important habitat for birds, fish, and other wildlife. Wreck Pond is fed by three main tributaries – Wreck Pond Brook, Black Creek, and Hannabrand Brook – that together with smaller creeks and streams, drain the boroughs of Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, and Wall Township in Monmouth County, NJ.
Historically, Wreck Pond had a natural inlet; however, in the 1930’s the inlet was filled in, and a pipe was installed to connect the lake to the ocean. Over time, the restricted tidal flow caused by the pipe, coupled with impacts from increased development, led to a number of environmental issues within the watershed including erosion, impaired water quality, flooding, and reduced fish populations.
Since the early 2000’s, a diverse group of partners has been working together to address these issues and help restore the ecological health of Wreck Pond and the larger watershed. Numerous monitoring studies, the extension of the existing outfall pipe, sewer infrastructure repair, dredging, the installation of stormwater management devices, and property owner education has resulted in improved water quality and provided a better understanding of the dynamics of Wreck Pond and the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed.
Following Hurricane Sandy, the American Littoral Society, in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, received a US Department of the Interior (DOI) Coastal Resiliency Grant to improve the aquatic connectivity of Wreck Pond. This grant funded the construction of a larger box culvert connecting Wreck Pond to the Atlantic Ocean. The culvert was specifically designed to improve fish passage for river herring and American eel. River herring (the collective term for two NOAA species of concern: alewife and blueback herring) once supported one of the largest commercial and recreational fisheries along the Atlantic coast. However, the blockage of spawning rivers, along with habitat degradation and overfishing, has led to severely diminished populations. The blockage of rivers has also negatively affected American eel, the only species of freshwater eel in North America.
As the project progressed, additional partners were added including the Army Corps of Engineers, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Monmouth County, the Borough of Spring Lake, Monmouth University, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Leon S. Avakian, Inc., and Najarian Associates. This unique collaboration of public, private, academic, and nonprofit institutions has worked together to leverage more funding and expand the scope of the project to allow for more comprehensive restoration work that includes the creation of living shorelines around Wreck Pond and Black Creek, and the dredging of sediment from Wreck Pond. Additional funding received includes a Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) issued through the NJ Office of Flood Hazard Risk Reduction Measures and funded by US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and funding from the Borough of Spring Lake.
This project is discussed during the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Regional Stormwater Management Committee Meetings, which are held on the 3rd Wednesday of of every other month starting in January at 3 p.m. in at the Wall Township Municipal Building, Community Room. More information on Wreck Pond and this project can be found on the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's website. Additional information can be found on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s website.
Click here to see a pdf of the PowerPoint presentation given at the July 15, 2015 Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Regional Stormwater Management Committee public meeting by former Habitat Restoration Coordinator, Jenna Krug.
Become a citizen scientist. Our citizen science program includes water and bird monitoring. Contact Julie Schumacher for more information.
For more information or questions regarding this project, please contact Habitat Restoration Director, Capt. Al Modjeski.
Also, learn more by visiting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Wreck Pond page: www.nj.gov/dep/wreckpond/index.htm and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wreck Pond page: www.fws.gov/hurricane/sandy/projects/NJDamRemoval.html.
Wreck Pond serves as the eastern extent of the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed, which is home to over 12 square miles of important habitat for birds, fish, and other wildlife. Wreck Pond is fed by three main tributaries – Wreck Pond Brook, Black Creek, and Hannabrand Brook – that together with smaller creeks and streams, drain the boroughs of Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, and Wall Township in Monmouth County, NJ.
Historically, Wreck Pond had a natural inlet; however, in the 1930’s the inlet was filled in, and a pipe was installed to connect the lake to the ocean. Over time, the restricted tidal flow caused by the pipe, coupled with impacts from increased development, led to a number of environmental issues within the watershed including erosion, impaired water quality, flooding, and reduced fish populations.
Since the early 2000’s, a diverse group of partners has been working together to address these issues and help restore the ecological health of Wreck Pond and the larger watershed. Numerous monitoring studies, the extension of the existing outfall pipe, sewer infrastructure repair, dredging, the installation of stormwater management devices, and property owner education has resulted in improved water quality and provided a better understanding of the dynamics of Wreck Pond and the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed.
Following Hurricane Sandy, the American Littoral Society, in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, received a US Department of the Interior (DOI) Coastal Resiliency Grant to improve the aquatic connectivity of Wreck Pond. This grant funded the construction of a larger box culvert connecting Wreck Pond to the Atlantic Ocean. The culvert was specifically designed to improve fish passage for river herring and American eel. River herring (the collective term for two NOAA species of concern: alewife and blueback herring) once supported one of the largest commercial and recreational fisheries along the Atlantic coast. However, the blockage of spawning rivers, along with habitat degradation and overfishing, has led to severely diminished populations. The blockage of rivers has also negatively affected American eel, the only species of freshwater eel in North America.
As the project progressed, additional partners were added including the Army Corps of Engineers, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Monmouth County, the Borough of Spring Lake, Monmouth University, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Leon S. Avakian, Inc., and Najarian Associates. This unique collaboration of public, private, academic, and nonprofit institutions has worked together to leverage more funding and expand the scope of the project to allow for more comprehensive restoration work that includes the creation of living shorelines around Wreck Pond and Black Creek, and the dredging of sediment from Wreck Pond. Additional funding received includes a Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) issued through the NJ Office of Flood Hazard Risk Reduction Measures and funded by US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and funding from the Borough of Spring Lake.
This project is discussed during the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Regional Stormwater Management Committee Meetings, which are held on the 3rd Wednesday of of every other month starting in January at 3 p.m. in at the Wall Township Municipal Building, Community Room. More information on Wreck Pond and this project can be found on the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's website. Additional information can be found on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s website.
Click here to see a pdf of the PowerPoint presentation given at the July 15, 2015 Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Regional Stormwater Management Committee public meeting by former Habitat Restoration Coordinator, Jenna Krug.
Become a citizen scientist. Our citizen science program includes water and bird monitoring. Contact Julie Schumacher for more information.
For more information or questions regarding this project, please contact Habitat Restoration Director, Capt. Al Modjeski.
Also, learn more by visiting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Wreck Pond page: www.nj.gov/dep/wreckpond/index.htm and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wreck Pond page: www.fws.gov/hurricane/sandy/projects/NJDamRemoval.html.