New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 7 - COASTAL PERMIT PROGRAM RULES › Subchapter 12 - GENERAL WATER AREAS › Section 7:7-12.5 - Recreational docks and piers

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a)
				Recreational and fishing docks and piers are structures supported on pilings
				driven into the bottom substrate, or floating on the water surface or
				cantilevered over the water, which are used for recreational fishing or for the
				mooring of boats or jet skis used for recreation or fishing, except for
				commercial fishing, and house boats.
(b) Recreational docks and piers, including
				jet ski ramps, and mooring piles, are conditionally acceptable provided:
1. There is a demonstrated need that cannot
				be satisfied by existing facilities;
2. The construction minimizes adverse
				environmental impact to the maximum extent feasible;
3. The docks and piers and their associated
				mooring piles are located so as to not conflict with overhead transmission
				lines;
4. There is minimum feasible
				interruption of natural water flow patterns;
5. If the dock, pier, or boat mooring is
				associated with a lot that has frontage on both a man-made lagoon and a natural
				waterway, the dock, pier, or boat mooring shall be located on the man-made
				lagoon, unless locating the dock, pier, or boat mooring on the lagoon would not
				otherwise comply with this section or any other provisions of this
				chapter;
6. Space between
				horizontal planking is maximized and width of horizontal planking is minimized
				to the maximum extent practicable. Under normal circumstances, a minimum of 3/8
				inch, 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, or one inch space is to be provided for four inch,
				six inch, eight to 10 inch, or 12 inch plus wide planks, respectively. The
				Department may consider an alternative dock design that allows sunlight
				penetration equal or greater than that allowed by the spacing of planking
				described in this paragraph. Alternative designs include, for example, grate
				decking that is constructed of metal, wood, aluminum, or other similar
				materials that allow sunlight penetration through the grates within the dock or
				pier;
7. The width of the structure
				shall not exceed twice the clearance between the structure and the surface of
				the ground below or the water surface at mean high tide (measured from the
				bottom of the stringers), except for floating docks whose width shall not
				exceed eight feet. Under typical circumstances, the maximum width of the
				structure shall be eight feet over water and six feet over wetlands and
				intertidal flats, except as noted at (b)7iii below. For the purposes of this
				section, an intertidal flat is a low lying strip of land along a shoreline
				located between spring high and spring low tides. The height of the structure
				over wetlands shall be a minimum of four feet regardless of width;
i. A minimum of eight feet of open water
				shall be provided between any docks if the combined width of the docks over the
				water exceeds eight feet;
ii.
				Construction and placement of the dock shall be a minimum of four feet from all
				property lines, for docks which are perpendicular to the adjacent bulkhead or
				shoreline; and
iii. In man-made
				lagoons only, the maximum width of the structure shall be eight feet over water
				and six feet over wetlands; The height of the structure over wetlands shall be
				a minimum of four feet;
8. In man-made lagoons only, the structure
				extends no more than 20 percent of the width of the lagoon from bank to
				bank;
9. The proposed structure and
				associated mooring piles do not hinder navigation or access to adjacent water
				areas. A hazard to navigation will apply to all potential impediments to
				navigation, including access to adjacent moorings, water areas and docks and
				piers; and
10. Photocell lights and
				reflectors shall be placed along the dock and on mooring piles starting from a
				point that is 50 feet outshore of the mean high water line to the end of the
				dock at 10-foot intervals. The lights shall be installed and operational within
				72 hours of completion of construction.