Aids to Navigation

Based out of the NJ State Marina Facility in Forked River, the Division of Coastal Engineering’s Aids to Navigation Group (ATON) is responsible for installing and maintaining over 4,500 buoys, channel markers and navigational beacons along State navigation channels throughout New Jersey. ATON works with the New Jersey State Marine Police (NJSMP) and the U.S. Coast Guard in determining slow-no-wake zones and other channel marking requirements and assists these groups with slow speed buoy installation when authorized by NJSMP. Additionally, ATON has the capacity to assist in debris removal from State waters in the aftermath of coastal storm events.

State and Local Project Partnerships

Dating back to the early 1900’s, the Office of Coastal Engineering (through its predecessor) has a storied history of providing shore protection and building resiliency along the coast of New Jersey by working directly with municipalities to address their concerns.  Since 1948, N.J.S.A. 12:6A-1 confers to the NJDEP the authority to perform shore protection along the state’s tidal waterways.  This authority permits Coastal Engineering directly to bid, award, and manage shore protection construction contracts.

Eligible municipal or county governments begin the process by submitting an application requesting project funding as described here.  Upon review and approval of the grant, the grantee exercises the option to either bid and oversee the work and request reimbursement for eligible costs up to the grant maximum, or request OCE to solicit, award, and oversee construction. OCE then works directly with the representative engineer to scope, create, and review project design plans and specifications.  Below are tables of past and current State and Local shore protection projects.

Active State and Local Projects

Completed State and Local Projects