Project Name: South Riverside Drive Living Shoreline, Shark River Inlet, Neptune NJ

Project Purpose:

1. Reduce flood risk and mitigate impact of storm events.
2. Improve community resiliency and protect existing beach and marsh habitat (value to
people and spawning horseshoe crabs).
3. Reduce erosion rate and raise beach elevation in the face of sea level rise.
4. Ecological uplift and improved biodiversity.
5. Improved local water quality and a decrease in sedimentation.

Brief Description: In January 2023, a project team composed of Neptune Township, Avakian
Engineers, Albert Marine, and the American Littoral Society completed a 2,050-foot living
shoreline project along South Riverside Drive in Neptune New Jersey. The project included the
replacement of seven derelict stormwater outfalls, the construction of a low marsh sill, the
placement of approximately 4,000 cubic yards of sand onto the existing beach, the building of a
small dune system planted with 16,000 dune grasses (Ammophila breviligulata), and the planting
of 9,000 Spartina alterniflora plugs to restore a fringing coastal wetland. The project was
awarded the 2023 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award GEAA and flooding has not
been observed since its implementation. Total project cost was $835,000. It was anticipated there
would be replanting and repairs to berm and marsh caused by more periodic storms in 2024.
 
As part of the restoration, continued monitoring and adaptive management have been
accomplished. For this particular adaptive management portion of the restoration, we will add
175 cubic yards of sand to berm system in need of repair to maintain resiliency, stake eighty-four
coir logs to improve sand retention on berms, plant 3,050 dune and high marsh plants to improve
berm stabilization, and plant 1200 S. alterniflora within the fringing coastal marsh. We will also
create three signs to be placed on-site that tell the story of this important restoration. Planting will
be done through a volunteer event and coir logs will be placed by Kean University students. Sand
placement and transport will be done in-kind by Neptune Department of Public Works (DPW).
Resource Values/Project Outputs: Improved resiliency; minimized erosion rates, reduction of
flood risk and loss; improved restoration longevity; combatting sea level rise and climate change
with science-based restoration techniques that have a proven track record through our past
restorations and can be applied Inlet-wide programmatically, project messaging and outreach;
improved habitat for fish and wildlife; continued community engagement.

Cost/Budget: Total cost of project to date is $853,600.00. Repairs will be an additional
$89,726.00 (includes cash, cash match, and in-kind services). See attached cost breakdown for
repairs and replanting.

Schedule: 10/6/24. Restoration started in Oct. 2022 with completion of replant/repair 11/30/2024.

Permit Status: We are fully permitted.

List of Partners: American Littoral Society, Neptune, Avakian, Monmouth County, Shark River
Cleanup Coalition, Kean University, Stockton University, and USFWS.

What is requested from the CWRP/Contribution: $19,961.00 In-kind DPW/Neptune -
$23,475.00. Cash/Neptune - $11,526.00 (Society) and $10,360.00 (Sand/Eng.) = $21,866.00

Point of Contact: Captain Alek Modjeski, 732-589-5116, alek@littoralsociety.org