August 13, 2025

Beach Closures, Flooding, Erosion, Oh My!

by Nina Sassano

berekely island 2

On a rainy day in Ocean County, it’s easy to watch water rush into storm drains without giving it much thought. That water rushing into the storm drains isn’t just rain; it’s a combination of water and whatever was else on the ground where the water flowed. It’s called stormwater.

PXL 20240813 144800228 1 1024x1820

So what is stormwater runoff? Well, when rainwater lands on the ground it has to go somewhere. In densely populated areas like Ocean County, rainwater flows over streets, driveways, lawns, parking lots, and all other surfaces; collecting everything in its path from oil, fertilizers, pet waste, trash, loose soil, and other pollutants. With so much pavement and so little natural ground to soak it up, much of this runoff reaches Barnegat Bay and its tributaries untreated, leading to poorer water quality, stressed habitats, and higher flood risks.

Polluted stormwater runoff doesn’t just dirty our water; it can shut down our favorite swimming spots. When excess fertilizer washes into the bay, it acts like plant food, causing algae to grow out of control. As these blooms die off, they use up the oxygen fish and other wildlife need to survive. Add in bacteria from pet waste and other pollutants, and you’ve got a recipe for beach closures across the bay.

Fast-moving runoff can erode stream banks, sending sediment into waterways where it clouds the water, smothers habitats, and clogs channels. Impervious surfaces increase the volume and speed of runoff, raising flood risks that threaten property, infrastructure, and safety. With less water soaking into the ground, groundwater supplies dwindle, affecting stream flows and well water availability. These environmental and public health issues also carry an economic toll, from costly flood damage and cleanups to lost tourism and recreation.

According to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s REAL Program, over the last 50 years, storms that resulted in extreme rain increased by 71% in New Jersey and is expected to increase by 4-11% by 2050. Much of the stormwater infrastructure used today by municipalities is not designed to manage increased rainfall, and thus the NJDEP is focused on reforming practices to minimize pollution and flood damage in our communities.

NJDEP is also helping Clean Water Act identify impaired waterbodies by identifying Total Maximum Daily Loads. The Barnegat Bay is one of over 600 TMDLs in New Jersey and studies are wrapping up to identify sources of pollution into the bay. From there, the NJDEP will publish models, recommendations, and watershed plans to support a reduction in nutrient loads that impact the bay and its tributaries.

May Be An Image Of Text That Says Turf Lawn Grass Root Systems FNative Plants
Roots of plants filter stormwater as it enters the groundwater. This diagram from Jersey Friendly Yards shows the root systems of many native plants compared to common turf grass. When possible, adding native plants to your landscape will help filter stormwater as it runs through the system.

Ocean County’s unique combination of sandy soils, coastal wetlands, and rapidly growing development means stormwater management is both a challenge and a necessity. While the challenges of stormwater runoff in Ocean County are significant, they’re not insurmountable. Every native plant planted (shout out to the Jersey Friendly Yards program), every reusable bottle, and every effort to reduce fertilizer and pesticide use brings us closer to a cleaner, healthier Barnegat Bay. Local governments, organizations, and residents all play a role whether it’s upgrading infrastructure, restoring wetlands, or making simple changes at home.

By working together and embracing smarter stormwater practices, we can protect our waterways, strengthen our communities against flooding, and ensure the bay remains a place for fishing, boating, swimming, and wildlife for generations to come. The rain will keep falling. With the right actions, we can make sure it nourishes our land instead of harming it.

Explore More Insights from Barnegat Bay

Dive deeper into the ongoing efforts to protect and restore our environment with more updates and initiatives that you can take part in. Check out our latest blog posts for valuable tips and insights.

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UNKNOWN

There is limited data available to quantify Wetland and Riparian Buffer Preservation, or updated data to quantify Wetland Acreage. The BBP has obtained funding and will begin assessment efforts for both targets, in the next few years.

 

 Hard Clam abundance has not been updated since 2012. Recovery of the stock will be guided by the Fishery Management Plan for Hard Clams, which is under development with the NJDEP, BBP, and other organizations. Reclam the Bay and other partners have continued to plant clams for restoration purposes. Continued plantings in strategic locations which maximize survival and reproduction is one strategy to pursue in the coming years. This work can use a model developed by Rutgers with BBP funding which identified areas where planted clams could have the greatest dispersal of their larvae and thus potentially maximally contribute to the recovery of the stock.

 Water Withdrawals were over the target in the 2021 report; USGS has not yet completed its latest update, so a definitive determination of status is not available. However, additional NJDEP data show that it is likely that we continue to not meet the target. Per capita water use has gone down, demonstrating the effectiveness of water-saving appliances and practices, but that decrease has been offset by population gains. 


IN PROGRESS

New maps quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation extent were developed, but poor image clarity resulted in a high degree of uncertainty in the total acreage. NJDEP and Rutgers are working to resolve the uncertainty of these maps, and improve the total acreage estimate. Funding has also been obtained for further research and restoration activities. Several groups are developing potential restoration actions.

The USGS has completed the first phase of its study to identify minimum ecological flows in select Barnegat Bay tributaries. USGS scientists compared streamflow statistics between historical and current time periods to better understand trends in watershed flow conditions. This work provides a foundation for developing ecological flow targets in the Barnegat Bay watershed.  Similar to SAV extent, funding (approximately $450K) has been obtained by the BBP to complete the remaining phases necessary for threshold determination.

 

TARGETS ACHIEVED

No targets can be considered “Achieved” at this time.

 

NOT ACHIEVING

Several Public Swimming Beaches exceeded their safe swimming standards more frequently than during their baseline time period (2016-2018).

While most beaches are routinely safe for swimming, several problematic areas such as Beachwood, Hancock, Windward, and several lake beaches need track-down studies and restoration to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

Acres of Approved Shellfish Waters decreased from the last report. While this decrease was small, it represents a loss of previously approved waters. Similar to public beaches, track-down studies and restoration work are needed to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

 

Beach Closures, Flooding, Erosion, Oh My!

On a rainy day in Ocean County, it’s easy to watch water rush into storm drains without giving it much thought. That water rushing into the storm drains isn’t just rain; it’s a combination of water and whatever was else on the ground where the water flowed. It’s called stormwater.

PXL 20240813 144800228 1 1024x1820

So what is stormwater runoff? Well, when rainwater lands on the ground it has to go somewhere. In densely populated areas like Ocean County, rainwater flows over streets, driveways, lawns, parking lots, and all other surfaces; collecting everything in its path from oil, fertilizers, pet waste, trash, loose soil, and other pollutants. With so much pavement and so little natural ground to soak it up, much of this runoff reaches Barnegat Bay and its tributaries untreated, leading to poorer water quality, stressed habitats, and higher flood risks.

Polluted stormwater runoff doesn’t just dirty our water; it can shut down our favorite swimming spots. When excess fertilizer washes into the bay, it acts like plant food, causing algae to grow out of control. As these blooms die off, they use up the oxygen fish and other wildlife need to survive. Add in bacteria from pet waste and other pollutants, and you’ve got a recipe for beach closures across the bay.

Fast-moving runoff can erode stream banks, sending sediment into waterways where it clouds the water, smothers habitats, and clogs channels. Impervious surfaces increase the volume and speed of runoff, raising flood risks that threaten property, infrastructure, and safety. With less water soaking into the ground, groundwater supplies dwindle, affecting stream flows and well water availability. These environmental and public health issues also carry an economic toll, from costly flood damage and cleanups to lost tourism and recreation.

According to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s REAL Program, over the last 50 years, storms that resulted in extreme rain increased by 71% in New Jersey and is expected to increase by 4-11% by 2050. Much of the stormwater infrastructure used today by municipalities is not designed to manage increased rainfall, and thus the NJDEP is focused on reforming practices to minimize pollution and flood damage in our communities.

NJDEP is also helping Clean Water Act identify impaired waterbodies by identifying Total Maximum Daily Loads. The Barnegat Bay is one of over 600 TMDLs in New Jersey and studies are wrapping up to identify sources of pollution into the bay. From there, the NJDEP will publish models, recommendations, and watershed plans to support a reduction in nutrient loads that impact the bay and its tributaries.

May Be An Image Of Text That Says Turf Lawn Grass Root Systems FNative Plants
Roots of plants filter stormwater as it enters the groundwater. This diagram from Jersey Friendly Yards shows the root systems of many native plants compared to common turf grass. When possible, adding native plants to your landscape will help filter stormwater as it runs through the system.

Ocean County’s unique combination of sandy soils, coastal wetlands, and rapidly growing development means stormwater management is both a challenge and a necessity. While the challenges of stormwater runoff in Ocean County are significant, they’re not insurmountable. Every native plant planted (shout out to the Jersey Friendly Yards program), every reusable bottle, and every effort to reduce fertilizer and pesticide use brings us closer to a cleaner, healthier Barnegat Bay. Local governments, organizations, and residents all play a role whether it’s upgrading infrastructure, restoring wetlands, or making simple changes at home.

By working together and embracing smarter stormwater practices, we can protect our waterways, strengthen our communities against flooding, and ensure the bay remains a place for fishing, boating, swimming, and wildlife for generations to come. The rain will keep falling. With the right actions, we can make sure it nourishes our land instead of harming it.

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