Manasquan Inlet
Encyclopedia
The Manasquan Inlet is an inlet
that connects the Atlantic Ocean
with
the Manasquan River
, dividing the counties of Ocean County
and Monmouth County
in the state of New Jersey
.
Passage to Bay Head Harbor and the Barnegat Bay
is possible via the Point Pleasant Canal
.
The present Manasquan River Inlet was dug in the 1920’s with the original inlet located
at Stockton Lake. The present
day inlet is the northern terminus of the Intracoastal Waterway
.
The inlet is home to the Squan US Coast Guard station.
the inlet to sack and destroy the Union salt works. The raiders burnt the salt works,
broke the kettle
s and ransacked the surrounding homes before retreating and heading north
to raid salt works in the Shark River
.
The Union salt works were repaired
and again attacked on the night of April 21, 1780 by a detachment of provincial troops,
under the command of Lieut. Col. Laurence who had sailed south from Sandy Hook
.
The present day location of the inlet is several thousand yards south of its location
in 1868, the inlet had been near the former Manasquan Coast Guard Station which was adjacent
to Stockton lake.
The Manasquan inlet historically had always been shallow, which made
it difficult for large boats to navigate.
When the Point Pleasant Canal
was dug in 1926, the Manasquan river's water rapidly flowed
through the man-made opening disrupting the natural flow of the river, this caused the
inlet to completely close with sand for several years. The inlet's closure was so complete
that it was possible to walk from Manasquan to Point Pleasant beach on dry ground. From 1926 to 1931 several efforts were made to reopen the inlet, including the use
of high pressure water by the National Guard and local firemen to erode
a narrow
channel
through the sand. These efforts however failed to keep the channel open and the
inlet remained closed.In 1930 work begun to reopen the inlet.
The Army Corps of Engineers put up
temporary piers and begin building jetties. The jetties were constructed with rock
excavation from the Second Avenue subway
in Manhattan
. The project
cost $600,000 with funds from local, state and federal government.
The inlet was officially reopened on August 29, 1931 with a parade of boats and was attended
by New Jersey Governor Morgan F. Larson.
East Coast. Its
popularity among beach breaks throughout the East Coast stems from the inlet, which directs
and often enlarges the waves as they come in to create a great right break. Many competitions
are held at the Manasquan Inlet throughout the year. One of the
most popular is the Manasquan Classic Longboard Contest which is held in September of every year.
This year the competition celebrated its 19th annual competition with a paddle out on September 11th,
commemorating the attacks on the World Trade Center a decade
ago.
Hurricane Bill, whose swell hit the shores of Manasquan in August of 2009, brought many
big-time professional surfers to the Manasquan Inlet including Andy Irons, Pete Mendia,
Sam Hammer, and Mike Gleason.
Inlet
An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water, often leading to an enclosed body of water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon or marsh. In sea coasts an inlet usually refers to the actual connection between a bay and the ocean and is often called an...
that connects the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
with
the Manasquan River
Manasquan River
The Manasquan River is a waterway in central New Jersey. It flows from central Monmouth County, beginning in Freehold Township, to the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties between the communities of Manasquan and Point Pleasant via the Manasquan Inlet. It widens greatly as it nears the ocean, making...
, dividing the counties of Ocean County
Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
and Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
in the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Passage to Bay Head Harbor and the Barnegat Bay
Barnegat Bay
Barnegat Bay is a small brackish arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles long, along the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. It is a long barrier peninsula, as well as by the north end of Long Beach Island...
is possible via the Point Pleasant Canal
Point Pleasant Canal
The Point Pleasant Canal is a canal in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It was completed in late 1925 to connect the Manasquan Inlet and Manasquan River with Bay Head Harbor on the northern end of the Barnegat Bay...
.
The present Manasquan River Inlet was dug in the 1920’s with the original inlet located
at Stockton Lake. The present
day inlet is the northern terminus of the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
.
The inlet is home to the Squan US Coast Guard station.
History
On Sunday April 5, 1778 a contingent of about 135 British Troops and loyalists enteredthe inlet to sack and destroy the Union salt works. The raiders burnt the salt works,
broke the kettle
Kettle
A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own electric heating element.- Stovetop kettles :...
s and ransacked the surrounding homes before retreating and heading north
to raid salt works in the Shark River
Shark River (New Jersey)
The Shark River is a river in eastern New Jersey that rises in eastern Monmouth County and flows southeast for , continuing through Neptune Township and Wall Township...
.
The Union salt works were repaired
and again attacked on the night of April 21, 1780 by a detachment of provincial troops,
under the command of Lieut. Col. Laurence who had sailed south from Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit along the Atlantic coast of New JerseySandy Hook may also refer to:-Places:United States* Sandy Hook , a village in the town of Newtown, Connecticut* Sandy Hook, Kentucky, a city in Elliott County...
.
The present day location of the inlet is several thousand yards south of its location
in 1868, the inlet had been near the former Manasquan Coast Guard Station which was adjacent
to Stockton lake.
The Manasquan inlet historically had always been shallow, which made
it difficult for large boats to navigate.
When the Point Pleasant Canal
Point Pleasant Canal
The Point Pleasant Canal is a canal in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It was completed in late 1925 to connect the Manasquan Inlet and Manasquan River with Bay Head Harbor on the northern end of the Barnegat Bay...
was dug in 1926, the Manasquan river's water rapidly flowed
through the man-made opening disrupting the natural flow of the river, this caused the
inlet to completely close with sand for several years. The inlet's closure was so complete
that it was possible to walk from Manasquan to Point Pleasant beach on dry ground. From 1926 to 1931 several efforts were made to reopen the inlet, including the use
of high pressure water by the National Guard and local firemen to erode
Erode
Erode is a city, a municipal corporation and the headquarters of Erode district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is situated at the center of the South Indian Peninsula, about southwest from the state capital Chennai and on the banks of the rivers Cauvery and Bhavani, between 11° 19.5"...
a narrow
channel
Channel
Channel, Channels, and similar terms may refer to:* Channels , a rock band fronted by ex-Jawbox singer/guitarist J. Robbins* Channels , a 2008 film* Channel, synonym for pre-chorus in popular song structure...
through the sand. These efforts however failed to keep the channel open and the
inlet remained closed.In 1930 work begun to reopen the inlet.
The Army Corps of Engineers put up
temporary piers and begin building jetties. The jetties were constructed with rock
excavation from the Second Avenue subway
Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway is a planned rapid transit subway line, part of the New York City Subway system. Phase I, consisting of two miles of tunnel and three stations, is currently under construction underneath Second Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.A plan for more than 75 years, the Second...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The project
cost $600,000 with funds from local, state and federal government.
The inlet was officially reopened on August 29, 1931 with a parade of boats and was attended
by New Jersey Governor Morgan F. Larson.
Surfing
The Manasquan Inlet is widely known as one of the best surf spots along theEast Coast. Its
popularity among beach breaks throughout the East Coast stems from the inlet, which directs
and often enlarges the waves as they come in to create a great right break. Many competitions
are held at the Manasquan Inlet throughout the year. One of the
most popular is the Manasquan Classic Longboard Contest which is held in September of every year.
This year the competition celebrated its 19th annual competition with a paddle out on September 11th,
commemorating the attacks on the World Trade Center a decade
ago.
Hurricane Bill, whose swell hit the shores of Manasquan in August of 2009, brought many
big-time professional surfers to the Manasquan Inlet including Andy Irons, Pete Mendia,
Sam Hammer, and Mike Gleason.