New Jersey: the Likelihood of Shore Protection
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New Jersey By Michael Craghan Jennifer Kassakian Daniel Hudgens James G. Titus The following document can be cited as: Michael Craghan, Jennifer Kassakian, Daniel Hudgens, and James G. Titus. 2010. “New Jersey.” In James G. Titus and Daniel Hudgens (editors). The Likelihood of Shore Protection along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Volume 1: Mid-Atlantic. Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, D.C. This report has undergone peer review as required by the Peer Review Handbook of the US Environmental Protection Agency for influential scientific information under the direction of Karen Scott, peer review leader for all products associated with Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.1. The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Environmental Protection Agency. The primary referring page for this document is http://risingsea.net/ERL/NJ.html [ INTRODUCTION 261 ] CHAPTER 3 NEW JERSEY Michael Craghani Jennifer Kassakianii Daniel Hudgensii and James G. Titusiii i Middle Atlantic Center for Geography and Environmental Studies ii Industrial Economics, Inc. iii U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [ 262 TH E L I K E L I H O O D O F S H O R E P R O T E C T I O N I N N E W J E R S E Y ] CONTENTS SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………………………..264 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 261 Purpose of this Study....................................................................................................................................... 261 Caveats............................................................................................................................................................ 273 How to Read this Report ................................................................................................................................. 276 METHODS........................................................................................................................ 277 Study Area ....................................................................................................................................................... 277 Phase 1: Pilot Phase ....................................................................................................................................... 278 Phase 2: Revised Maps................................................................................................................................... 282 Phase 3: Stakeholder Review ......................................................................................................................... 286 Map Scale........................................................................................................................................................ 287 Use of Experts ................................................................................................................................................. 287 STATE POLICIES ............................................................................................................ 289 Rules for Coastal Zone Management.............................................................................................................. 289 Waterfront Development Law .......................................................................................................................... 291 State Plan ........................................................................................................................................................ 291 Discussions with State Officials....................................................................................................................... 291 Other State Factors ......................................................................................................................................... 292 RESPONSES TO SEA LEVEL RISE ............................................................................... 292 ATLANTIC COAST COUNTIES....................................................................................... 293 Middlesex County..................................................................................................................................... 300 Monmouth County .................................................................................................................................... 300 Ocean County........................................................................................................................................... 306 Burlington County (Coastal) ..................................................................................................................... 312 Atlantic County ......................................................................................................................................... 313 Cape May County..................................................................................................................................... 317 Cumberland County ................................................................................................................................. 321 Salem County........................................................................................................................................... 328 DELAWARE RIVER COUNTIES ..................................................................................... 332 Gloucester County.................................................................................................................................... 332 Camden County........................................................................................................................................ 338 Burlington County (Delaware River)......................................................................................................... 339 Mercer County…………………………………........................................................................................... 340 NORTH JERSEY.............................................................................................................. 342 Appendix A: Length of Shorelines by Likelihood of Shore Protection...................... 347 Appendix B: Area of Land by Likelihood of Shore Protection ................................... 360 Appendix C: Elevation Uncertainty............................................................................... 371 Appendix D: Summary of Data Sources....................................................................... 376 Appendix E: State Plan Goals and Strategies.............................................................. 383 [ INTRODUCTION 263 ] CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..........................................................................385 MAPS Map 3-1. The Likelihood of Shore Protection: Statewide Results of this Study...............................................268 Map 3-2. Middlesex County: Likelihood of Shore Protection...........................................................................298 Map 3-3. Monmouth County: Likelihood of Shore Protection ..........................................................................305 Map 3-4. Ocean County: Likelihood of Shore Protection.................................................................................311 Map 3-5. Atlantic County: Likelihood of Shore Protection ...............................................................................316 Map 3-6. Cape May County: Likelihood of Shore Protection...........................................................................320 Map 3-7. Cumberland County: Likelihood of Shore Protection........................................................................324 Map 3-8. Salem County: Likelihood of Shore Protection .................................................................................331 Map 3-9. Gloucester County: Likelihood of Shore Protection..........................................................................337 Map 3-10. Western Burlington County: Likelihood of Shore Protection ..........................................................341 Map 3-11. North Jersey: Likelihood of Shore Protection .................................................................................343 FIGURES Figure 3-1. Lands Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise .............................................................................................275 Box 3-1. Tides, Sea Level, and Reference Elevations ....................................................................................273 Box Figure 3-2. Locations of Levees and Dikes Compared with Likelihood of Shore Protection....................275 TABLES Table 3-1. Area of Land by Likelihood of Shore Protection ............................................................................269 Table 3-2. Shoreline Length by Major Water Body and Likelihood of Shore Protection ................................270 Table 3-3. Area of Land Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise in New Jersey............................................................274 Table 3-4. Local Officials Who Provided Input to this Study............................................................................278 Table 3-5. Relationship between Shore Protection Scenarios and Likelihood of Shore Protection................281 Table 3-6. Summary of GIS Applied in Study ..................................................................................................285