Restoration Team Pushes Hard to Complete Work at Fortescue

Beach restoration contractor, H4 Enterprises, uses a bulldozer along the beach to grade newly placed sand.

With horseshoe crab spawning season fast approaching, the Littoral Society's restoration team have been pushing hard to complete our National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded habitat restoration efforts in Fortescue, NJ.

Our project team was able to place 10,000 cubic yards of sand on the town's south end beach to complement the 35,000 cubic yards of sand placed last year in conjunction with the NJ Department of Transportation Office of Maritime Resources’ channel maintenance in Fortescue Creek.

This year’s sand placement was focused on a bend in the beach face where erosion is especially harsh. This is also where we are placing a series of three 100-foot-long rock breakwaters just offshore to reduce the waves’ punishing assault on the beach.

By adding sand and breakwaters we are creating suitable horseshoe crab spawning beaches sheltered from disruptive waves and adding to the availability of foraging areas for migratory birds, including the threatened Red Knot.

Migratory shorebirds, such as the Red Knot, flock to Fortescue Beach during horseshoe crab spawning season. The crab's eggs fuel the birds' journey to Arctic nesting grounds.

The Littoral Society's restoration work in and around Fortescue, located in New Jersey's Downe Township, began shortly after Hurricane Sandy devastated the area in 2012.

Projects have centered on restoring horseshoe crab spawning habitat and protecting the shoreline so it is better prepared for future extreme weather events.

The restoration work benefits both the crabs and the migratory shorebirds, such as the Rufa Red Knot, that feast on crab eggs in order to fuel their journey to Arctic nesting grounds. 

Delaware Bay beaches naturally erode and rebuild over time. However, this process of erosion has accelerated in recent years, very likely an impact of increased storm frequency, climate change and sea level rise. The Littoral Society, with the help of our partners and volunteers, has continued working to address the loss of habitat and evolve our projects as we gain a better understanding of the dynamic Delaware Bay system.

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Marine contractor, South State Inc., placing rock for the breakwater structures using a clam-shell bucket.