Army Corps to dredge Maurice River mouth to rebuild Heislerville marsh

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District announced a maintenance dredging operation in the lower Maurice River aimed at restoring eroded marsh and shoring up coastal infrastructure in Cumberland County. The Corps said Cottrell Contracting Corporation will remove about 80,000 cubic yards of sediment from the federal channel near the river mouth and hydraulically pump that material to areas fronting the Heislerville Dike at Matts Landing Road and into the Northwest Reach within the Heislerville Wildlife Management Area.

Work was scheduled to begin in mid-January 2026 and run through the end of February 2026. Mariners were advised that dredging equipment and a hydraulic pipeline would be in or near the channel during operations, and to plan transits accordingly. The Corps framed the placement as beneficial use: moving channel sediment to rebuild marsh habitat and to help protect local coastal infrastructure rather than transporting spoil to upland disposal sites.

The project continues restoration and maintenance efforts started during 2023 and 2024 in the same vicinity. For local residents, the operation has two primary dimensions: navigation maintenance and coastal resilience. Dredging keeps the federally maintained channel passable for commercial and recreational vessels that use the lower Maurice River and the Delaware Bay approaches. At the same time, placing dredged material on eroded marsh creates a living shoreline buffer that reduces wave energy, helps stabilize the Heislerville Dike, and protects Matts Landing Road from storm damage.

Institutionally, the operation illustrates how federal maintenance responsibilities and environmental restoration goals can be coordinated. The Army Corps is executing federal channel upkeep while applying a beneficial-use strategy that reduces disposal costs and delivers on habitat restoration targets. That approach aligns with broader state and regional priorities for marsh restoration and managed coastal retreat in low-lying Cumberland County communities, though local stakeholders will continue to weigh tradeoffs between short-term construction impacts and long-term shoreline protection benefits.

Residents and waterway users should expect increased vessel traffic associated with the contractor's work and temporary constraints near the channel. Recreational boaters, local charter operators, and commercial fishermen will want to check navigation plans and exercise caution around the work zone. For more information, contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District public affairs officer.

Our two cents? Treat this as a reminder that maintaining navigation and defending our marshes are linked projects. Keep a safe distance from work barges, follow posted advisories, and bring questions to the Corps at the public affairs office if you want details about timing or access near Matts Landing Road.