Centuries before
white men discovered the delights of the Jersey shore, Sea Girt was
a popular bathing spot. The Lenni Lenape Indians came to the
cedar-grown dunes near Wreck Pond Inlet for their yearly bath and
baked clam feast. So began” Big Sea Day”, for when the Jerseys
became colonized settlers from miles around came in their
sheet-topped wagons for a get together at the same beach on the
second Saturday in August. The day was one for friendly reunions,
with bathing, singing, musical interludes, basket breakfast and
lunches on the
beach
One of the main reasons that the Sea Girt lighthouse was built in
it's spot was to mark the inlet at Wreck Pond which was a major
thoroughfare for ships. But by the 1930's the inlet had filled in
so only boats with under a 2 foot draft could enter through the
inlet - and then only at high tide.
Now the inlet is
closed and the only way that the pond is connected to the ocean is
an outflow pipe that controls the pond level to prevent flooding as
seen in the picture
.
The picture on the right is the
current view of the where the inlet used to be. The cache is
in the small section of woods to the right of the bridge in this
picture. The picture on the right is the outflow from Wreck
pond into the ocean, a mechanical replacement for the
inlet.
The cache is a small rectangular clear Lock&Lock hidden in the
traditional fashion. You can park in the parking lot on the
Spring Lake side.
Some info on
the pipe:
Bacteria-laden discharges from the Pond reportedly have been
responsible for 50 of 59 ocean swimming bans in New
Jersey during 2004, and 58 of 80 during
2003. Potential sources of contamination
include stormwater flow into the Pond, waterfowl use, pet waste,
and residential fertilizer use. So if you bring
your dog, please clean up after them!
Wreck Pond exchanges water with the ocean through a 7 foot diameter
outfall pipe. This pipe conveys ocean water into the pond during
ocean high tides, and allows water to drain out of the pond during
ocean low tides. In addition to ocean water, the pond receives
tributary flows, as well as stormwater flows through outfall
structures from surrounding residential
areas. The Pond’s watershed area is
approximately 15 square miles and contains a mix of wooded areas,
agricultural areas, low to medium density residential areas, and
mixed use areas. In addition to tributary
streams, the Pond receives direct stormwater flows through outfall
structures from surrounding residential areas.
This cache is
certified Central
Jersey!
