Moore's Beach

PROJECT 5C: COMPLETING RESTORATION OF MOORES BEACH

Moores Beach was once a community of about 30 houses, a significant horseshoe crab spawning area and thus once important to shorebirds.   By 1990’s the town was virtually abandoned and the state of NJ purchased the remaining homes and the beach for the sake of desperate homeowners as well as crabs and birds.  The state removed the houses but left all the rubble used by resident to protect their homes.  This rubble left nearly all the beach unsuitable for crab breeding.  Hurricane Sandy removed what little horseshoe crab spawning habitat remained. 

In spring of 2013 we re-built the road to Moores Beach, removed 760 tons of rubble and added approximately 8000 cubic yards of sand.  Work stopped however, when horseshoe crabs started spawning on the partially restored beach.  This in itself was a major accomplishment, as the site was wholly unsuitable for crab breeding.  We intend to finish the original restoration profile with an addition 8000 cubic yards of sand, and propose to expand the restoration to include the next beach segment to the east of the original site.   If the additional work can take place as part of the completion of the original restoration we will avoid additional heavy equipment staging fees.