Low Tide at Cliffwood Beach, May 2012

I went down to the bay Saturday afternoon at Cliffwood Beach to see if there was a beached sailboat there, as reported in a comment on this blog earlier this week. I didn't see anything. Perhaps it was removed?

I snapped a few pictures while there. It was low tide. There were signs that the horseshoe crabs had come and gone. And there are signs that the bay is eroding the sand bank covering the old pool.

Horseshoe crab at low tide on Cliffwood Beach, NJ

Low tide at Cliffwood Beach, looking westward from seawall.

Low tide at Cliffwood Beach, looking eastward along seawall.

Signs of erosion near old pool at Cliffwood Beach seawall.

Wild flower on access road off Greenwood Avenue

Cliffwood Beach Sweep - Spring 2012

We went down to Cliffwood Beach this morning to participate in Clean Ocean Action's Spring Beach Sweep in honor of Earth Day. Hat tip to The Patch for letting us know about the event. There were lots of folks down there walking around with collection bags and clipboards, collecting debris and logging what they find. We noticed Aberdeen Councilman Greg Cannon and family. There were also a lot of fishermen at the surf line trying to catch stripers, poles in the ground. The lot was nearly full, because there were so many people in the fishermen's parking lot today. 

We always enjoy the beach cleanup and try to participate each time it is held. Thanks to those who organize these events. I believe the events make a difference, not only in the appearance of the beach but in improved  understanding of what is washing up onto the Raritan Bay shoreline.

We collected a bag of debris -- mostly shopping bags that had washed up on the shore, plus beverage cans and bottles -- and we found three big tires that had floated our way and found a home on our beach.

We took turns rolling one big truck tire up the beach. What a struggle! 

We found an exit to the road and rolled the tire down to the collection area, where we loaded it onto the Monmouth County refuse truck with some help from a county employee.

I took a piece of driftwood and dug this monster tire out of the surf. It seemed like a simple matter to roll it back to the collection station, but it turned out to be a major task.

We found two more tires down by the seawall. We brought them back to the collection area in our car.

There was a very organized process for volunteers to sign up and get bags, work gloves, and data sheets and pencils.

Cliffwood Beach Seawall - Where's the Gravel Going?

Most of the Cliffwood Beach seawall has gravel along the walkway.

Recently, the gravel is disappearing in whole sections. Is someone taking it or tossing it into the bay?

Cliffwood Beach Seawall Project Cut by $88,413

What did we lose with the $88k (18.6%) reduction in the township's funding of the Cliffwood Beach Sea Wall Project, which took place at the 27 December 2011 council meeting?  The minutes were just released and there's no explanation for the adjustment.

Change Order No. 1 Sea Wall Park Project: Contract for aforementioned project was awarded to B&B Construction, LLC in the amount of $472,885.00. Change Order No. 1 was prepared and executed with a net decrease of $88,413.00 for a total contract amount of $384,472.00. (Workshop minutes)

RESOLUTION NO. 2011-137 – BE IT RESOLVED by the Township Council that it hereby approves Change Order No. 1 for the Sea Wall Park Project. (Meeting minutes)

The Patch covered the story at the time, saying "The resolution states that the reduction brings the cost of the project within the amount of funds available through grants."

I just don't see that the resolution offered any justification for the cut. What's up? Are we not getting something or did the contract come in under budget? Is there some significance to this action taking place at year end, just before the new Council was installed?

Low Tide at the Cliffwood Beach Seawall

I took some photographs this afternoon along the Cliffwood Beach seawall at low tide. It was bright and sunny and the weather was crisp and calm. Gulls and geese swam in the still waters of the Raritan Bay while white birches stood vigil on the shore.

I noticed that the pole cameras are gone -- well, to be more precise, the cameras are gone but the old poles remain. And there is a green metal waste can at each end of the seawall, plus a covered trash can at the sidewalk near the little parking lot off Beach Drive. The Lakeshore Drive end of the seawall requires some work to provide formal access. I hope there is a plan for that. I thought there were supposed to be steps.

Birches along the seawall

The Amboys are visible to the west.

Low tide at Cliffwood Beach reveals remnants of an old bulkhead

New waste receptacles have been placed along the seawall

The new World Trade Center tower is easily viewable from Cliffwood Beach

Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site May Be Remediated in 2012

There's a chance that Old Bridge will get its Laurence Harbor Waterfront Park back sometime next summer, that is if discussions at the Raritan Bay Slag Community Advisory Group continue to make progress, according to The Suburban. N L Industries made a proposal to begin cleanup work by next April. Maybe the stars are properly aligned and something will actually happen? I hope so. It's been over two years since those nasty signs went up warning of the presence of lead at the park.

Environmental Protection Online published an article on 10 November 2009 to announce that the EPA had added the Raritan Bay Slag site to its Superfund National Priorities List. Below is part of that article:

For Raritan Bay Slag, the contaminant of concern is lead. In September 1972, a local government official advised the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) that lead-bearing waste material was being disposed of along the Laurence Harbor beachfront on Raritan Bay. NL Industries, Inc. acknowledged that metallic slag waste from blast furnace and blast furnace rubble were disposed of at their property in Old Bridge Township. Old Bridge officials worked with NJDEP to notify the public in writing about health concerns for the lead waste material and restricted access by means of signage and some fencing. However, due to physical constraints, it was not practical to completely fence off contaminated areas.

Analytical results from sampling in 2007 found lead at concentrations as high as 142,000 parts per million at the jetty and seawall. Lead–contaminated slag, associated with the western jetty of the Cheesequake Creek Inlet and the Laurence Harbor Seawall, was observed to be in direct contact with the Raritan Bay. The Raritan Bay is a fishery and a sensitive environment (as identified under the National Estuary Program and a state-designated water body for the maintenance of aquatic life). 

In September 2008, EPA collected surface and subsurface soil, surface water, and sediment samples in the area of the seawall and the jetty. Waste (i.e., slag) samples were also collected from the slag that forms portions of the seawall and jetty. Analytical data from this investigation is pending.

September Plants at Cliffwood Beach Seawall and Environs

Here are some pictures of the plants on and near the Cliffwood Beach seawall at this time of year. Perhaps someone can help with identifications of those I couldn't name?

The green and purple berries are on a mature pokeweed plant.

The yellow stalks are golden rod.

Unidentified

This unidentified plant has a thick, bamboo-like stalk and long, narrow green leaves. It grows off a central stem and spreads out horizontally. The plant is adorned with fuzzy light brown tails. 

Unidentified

Robo-Pole Unwelcoming to Cliffwood Beach Visitors

As the ultimate advocate for the new security cameras at the Cliffwood Beach seawalk, I was taken aback when one of those new Robo-Poles started addressing me this afternoon in officious and at times menacing tones.

In a booming male voice, the camera first advised me, YOU ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE BY THE ABERDEEN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT, which was fine by me once I gained my composure. Nothing like strolling the shoreline under the watchful eye of the local authorities.

Then the camera told me, WE HAVE TAKEN YOUR PICTURE, which seemed a bit intrusive but perhaps necessary to keep a watchful eye on miscreants (not me) who might damage the seawalk or even hurt someone. Those kids with spray cans will certainly think twice before doing damage, and robbers are on notice that the cops have their number.

But imagine my surprise when the camera told me to LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY. What's with that little bit of cheer? Nothing like being welcomed to a public recreational area by being told to -- What's the word? Oh, yeah, Scram! Get out of here! Turn and run before the police arrive and take you away! What's up with that? If there is a curfew down there -- and I don't think there is-- the law should be clearly posted.

Seems there is some fine tuning required on these security cameras. Maybe the Aberdeen Police should meet with the Chamber of Commerce and agree on more welcoming security camera banter that won't send beach visitors fleeing in terror?

Aberdeen NJ Has New Online Police Blotter

Aberdeen Township Police have launched a police blotter!

A 6 Jul 2011 press release tells the story of an Amboy man who allegedly led police on a bizarre chase through Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach. He reportedly blew the stop sign at Lennox Road but didn't stop for police. Instead he fled to the seawall, where he abandoned his vehicle and attempted a murky swim across Treasure Lake. All I want to know is who washed this guy down when he got out of that silty lake?? ;-)

A 5 Jul 2011 press release tells how the Keyport driver of a Land Rover allegedly caused considerable mayhem by blowing the traffic light near McDonald's on Route 35 in Cliffwood. Keyport ran into Staten Island, flipped a couple of times, etc. What a mess!

There are more in the pile. Nice job, Aberdeen PD.

Cliffwood Beach Seawall Vegetation - 4 July 2011

I took pictures of some of the vegetation along the Cliffwood Beach seawall today. I've labeled most of them.

UPDATE: I found a nice write up on Bittersweet Nightshade at a blog called Growing Hermione's Garden.

Poison Ivy

Crown-Vetch aka Axseed

Crown-Vetch aka Axseed

This hairy orange vine is called doder.

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Mimosa

Deptford Pink (?)

Birches

Clover

Common Groundsel

Sedge

Bittersweet Nightshade

Bittersweet Nightshade

Queen Anne's Lace (Wild Carrot)

Crown-Vetch aka Axseed

Queen Anne's Lace (Wild Carrot)