BHWCA Position Paper on Waterways

Beach Haven West is the largest man-made lagoon community in New Jersey, consisting of approximately 24 miles of waterways in 102 lagoons surrounding some 4,500 homes. The lagoon community is bordered on the south by Mill Creek, a natural waterway, and the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

The first section was opened in 1957, with additional sections opened until the Wetlands Protection Act of 1970 prevented the community from expanding farther into the wetlands to the south. That abrupt ending of development is believed to be a cause of poor water flushing in the areas farthest from Barnegat Bay. Natural tidal flow continues to affect the waterways, causing silting and shoaling, as do major weather events - most recently Superstorm Sandy in 2012, whose effects Beach Haven West continues to recover from.

The newest section of Beach Haven West is approximately 40 years old, while the oldest section is approximately 68 years old. Until a Bathymetric Survey was conducted in 2020, no efforts had been made in BHW's six decades to address the health and maintenance of the lagoons, despite the waterways being an asset to the entire Stafford community.

Although much of the waterway network is navigable today, there are areas that need - or will need - attention to maintain healthy, navigable status.

In a recent presentation before the BHW Civic Association, an Army Corps of Engineers official noted that our clean dredge material is "currency" in this new approach of beneficial use.

With firm resolve that Stafford's waterways be treated as part of the township's infrastructure, the BHW Civic Association will continue to vigorously support efforts that have placed Stafford at the forefront of this advancing state and national approach to waterway maintenance.