On the Delaware Bay, N.J. town struggles against sea rise

Residents of Downe Township on the shores of the Delaware Bay in New Jersey will bet you the sunsets illuminating marshes, migrating birds, and open blue water rival those of the wealthier ocean-side communities to the southeast.

To that point, the town bills itself as “A Nature Lover’s Paradise.”

But this paradise is crumbling. Rising seas, more frequent tidal flooding, and sinking land are taking their toll. And unlike on the ocean side, there’s no steady stream of federal dollars and sand to prop up this coastal treasure.

Many of the homes at the end of Money Island, in the northwestern part of the township, are vacant, rotting shacks hovering over Nantuxent Cove. Gap-toothed decks hang precariously above the water, serving only as perches for squawking gulls. A home bearing a bumper sticker reading “Save the Bayshore — No Retreat!” is collapsing, its giant concrete septic tank knocked askew by storms.

The State of New Jersey has offered to buy 28 of about 40 Money Island homes. To date, 21 homeowners have volunteered, leaving fears it will soon become yet another vanished bay-shore hamlet that couldn’t afford to fight rising seas. Communities such as Seabreeze, Moore’s Beach, and Thompson’s Beach have all disappeared, ruined by Hurricane Sandy, repeated other storms, and tidal flooding.

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Paul Waterman, a Downe resident who owns Beaver Dam Boat Rentals at Oranokin Creek, is philosophical about the township’s situation. He likes to watch eagles from his porch overlooking Glades Wildlife Refuge.

Life in Downe has always been dictated by water, he said. “You need to accept that you’ll get your feet wet.”

“I see changes in the amounts of different species of wildlife that should or shouldn’t be here,” Waterman said. “The water is warmer and crab season is six weeks ahead. And we all know warm water feeds storms.”

Looking out over thousands of acres of wetland, he adds: “Mother Nature is talking, but it’s very subtle.”


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