The Point Pleasant Canal: Its Construction and Impact

Early Thoughts of the Intracoastal Waterway

Did you know that the Point Pleasant area has a history dating all the way back to 1609? We often take this for granted, but there are many interesting stories here. For instance, have you heard about the White Lawn Cemetery, Captain John Arnold, the Fleming Brothers, or my favorite, Oona O’Neill? This blog is about the Point Pleasant Canal and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Point Pleasant Canal’s planning was strategically important right from the beginning. Did you know that discussions about the Intracoastal Waterway started during the Revolutionary War? When I began researching the canal further, I was surprised to learn about its history, construction, the controversies it sparked, and its impact on the community.

Strategic and Defense

Shortly after the Revolutionary War, our newly formed government loosely started to plan the Intracoastal Waterway that would stretch from the Northern Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. This would create a safer route for traders to travel and avoid the rough Atlantic Ocean. During the Revolutionary War and again during the War of 1812, The British formed a blockade of the east coast, which affected the military supply chain and troop movement. This solidified the plans for the Intracoastal Waterway, and as a result, in 1826, congress authorized the survey to build a series of inland canals along the east coast.

Impact of the Point Pleasant Canal

It is a little-known fact that the Beaver Dam Creek, Metedconk River, and northern Barnegat Bay were fresh water before the canal. The canal would change Point Pleasant forever, and this was a concern for many. Can you imagine having fresh water in the Point Pleasant and Brick area? The Beaver Dam Creek, Mataloking River, and these bodies of water had a freshwater ecosystem. Some businesses depended on freshwater, cranberry bogs, a small logging business, and Icehouses throughout Point Pleasant, including the Loveland town section.

If our backbays were fresh water today, what would our lives be like? Just think of how many hockey players the area would’ve produced. Would we have fewer water restrictions? Would it be easier to keep our lawns to keep green? I am not an expert in this area, but I hope to answer some questions that I now have.

*Dredging of the Point Pleasant Canal*
Early Canal Route

There were many planned routes, with a 1903 plan that would bring the canal along what is now Baltimore Ave and through Lake Louise, Little Silver Lake, Lake of the Lillies, and Twilight Lake Bay Head on its way to Barnegat Bay. In 1912, they deemed this route impractical for several reasons:

by the late 1800s, the Point Pleasant Land Company began selling buildable lots in Point Pleasant Beach

Homes and streets were already in place along the route

Its proximity to the beach, the need for eight bridges and railroad draws, and the estimated cost of $155,000

With these issue, they planned to construct the canal in its present location at a much lower cost of $5,000.

Construction of the Canal

In 1908, following nearly 75 years of planning, dredging began on New Jersey’s section of the Intracoastal Waterway. The project started in the Cape May area, and upon its completion, work commenced on the Manasquan/Bay Head Canal. The canal’s dredging started in 1916, but construction stopped only about a half mile in due to WWI. Dredging continued in 1918, but progress was slow and sporadic. When funding became an issue, different contractors took over from the last contractor, including the LeChard Dredging Company, which is still in business today. They completed the Route 88 bridge in 1924 over a dry canal nearly two years before the canal opened. They re-routed traffic to River Road/Pine Bluff Ave during the bridge’s construction.

West Point Pleasant

The Point Pleasant Canal caused much controversy when it was first created. The canal separated the town into Point Pleasant and West Point Pleasant. Even decades later, some still referred to the western side of the canal as West Point Pleasant. Because the canal was entirely in Point Pleasant, in 1964, the canal was renamed the Point Pleasant Canal from The Manasquan / Bay Head Canal.

The canal’s construction started on the bayside towards the Manasquan River, and the freshwater there was untouched by the river’s salt water. Subsequently, there were many problems and negative feelings among the town’s residents. The debate revolved around whether constructing a canal would bring in tides, potentially destroying the freshwater ecosystem and businesses that depended on it.

Shoaling in the Inlet and the Canal

In 1931, authorities erected jetties to combat the continuous erosion and shoaling of the Manasquan River and the Inlet. However, there was also erosion and shoaling in the canal. It wasn’t until 1935 that they constructed wooden bulkheads. Unfortunately, by 1960, the bulkheads began to erode. The Army Corps of Engineers dropped boulders into the canal to limit erosion around the bridges. Unfortunately, this correction caused the water to become shallower, creating rapids through the Canal. By 1972, they had addressed these issues by removing the boulders, replacing the wooden bulkheads with steel, and replacing both bridges—Bridge Ave in 1972 and Route 88 in 1986.

Controversies

One of the first objections to the canal was the concern that the freshwater of the Barnegat Bay, Beaver Dam Creek, and the Metedeconk River would become salt water. The fishing would change; there would be no more pike, perch, or bass fishing. The cranberry bogs were at risk, and the Icehouse, where residents and fishermen stored their perishables, would close. There would be currents and tides to the calm water that would affect the area.

The canal was nearly closed six months after opening. The current constantly eroded the canal, causing shoaling and washing away the banks. The biggest issue was the diversion of the river, driving shoals in the Manasquan Inlet. The inlet was mainly closed until 1930, when it closed and reopened in February 1931.

Authorities decided to correct the erosion by installing wooden bulkheads, completing the project in 1947. They dropped boulders to support the aging bridges and repair the failing bulkheads, which caused more shoaling, rougher currents, and even rapids.

Conclusion

After researching the Point Pleasant Canal, I realized that the benefits outweigh the negatives. This caused many problems, and maybe the canal construction could have been better. After all that planning, building, and money, it took over 40 years to get the canal to flow correctly.

I have often wondered how Point Pleasant would be without the canal. How would the streets connect? How much easier would it be for locals to get to the beach? This would seriously affect the Point Pleasant community and homebuyers looking for waterfront homes. Do you want access to the Barnegat Bay or the Manasquan River without easy access to the other?

What do you think?

Was the canal worth destroying a freshwater ecosystem and causing so many problems before its completion? The Point Pleasant Canal has become an integral part of this area, but how would Point Pleasant be different without it? Would the absence of the canal be beneficial, or would it have a negative effect? What do you think?

If you live on the water in Point Pleasant or Brick, If the canal wasn’t there, and you are looking to live on the water, Would you live on the river with access to the Ocean or on the bayside with 1 1/2 hours to the ocean?

Where would you launch or dock your boat if you were a boater? The riverside with quick access to the ocean, or the bayside with freshwater and an hour and a half to the ocean?

I want your feedback on this blog. Please leave a comment.

The Point Pleasant Canal its construction and impact on the Community