SPRING LAKE, N.J. – For years, the conflicting goals of protecting the environment and some of the New Jersey shore's priciest real estate from storms have bedeviled a body of water called Wreck Pond.
Storms sometimes open a channel between the 48-acre tidal pond and the ocean, but governments keep sealing it shut to protect homes from flooding.
The result has been poor water quality and much narrower access to the ocean that hurts fish that travel from ocean to pond to breed.
But a new project that arose after Superstorm Sandy is addressing both problems at once. An enclosed concrete culvert between the pond and the ocean now makes it easier for fish to reach the sea.
The project also allows for better control of water levels in the lake during storms, and improves water quality by flushing it regularly with ocean water.
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