Online Tool Can Help Boaters Navigate Barnegat Bay

Environmentally-minded boaters have a new tool they can use to help steer clear of ecologically sensitive areas of Barnegat Bay.

The state Department of Environmental Protection last week announced that it had launched a web tool that includes an interactive map that provides a birds-eye view of sensitive areas in the watershed.
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"We hope that it becomes an invaluable resource as boaters come back to the Bay during this first boating season since Superstorm Sandy," DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said in a statement.

The tool is part of Gov. Chris Christie's 10-point plan to help restore the bay estuary, DEP officials said Friday. One aspect of the plan is reducing the impact boats have on the waterway.

The website, which can scale to be easily viewed on a mobile device, allows users to zoom into specific areas and find detailed maps showing ecologically sensitive areas. By moving their cursor over the maps, users can also find services such as marinas, sewage pump-out facilities, bait-and-tackle shops, launches and ramps, restrooms, and places to dispose trash. 

The site also provides links to green boating tips.

The DEP has identified 16 specific ecologically-sensitive areas in the bay, usually shallow areas where submerged aquatic vegetation and wildlife are found. 

Reducing boating impacts to the bay has been a source of controversy in the past. Officials have considered adding "conservation zones" to the waterway, which could include additional No Wake zones and other access regulations.

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Link: DEP's Barnegat Bay Online Tool

This story was written by Patch Field Editor Daniel Nee.