Commercial fisherman Blair Hanson was piloting his 55-foot trawler between the red and green buoy markers when he hit bottom coming into Great Egg Harbor Inlet…

… The problem with Great Egg Harbor Inlet is a common one, and it’s about to get worse. Money for dredging is disappearing. Meanwhile, the state’s waterways are already among the worst on the Atlantic seaboard.

Howard Marlowe, a Washington lobbyist for southern New Jersey coastal projects, said it is “almost impossible” to get money in today’s fiscal climate to dredge inlets used by recreational boaters, although he added there is still some money available for large commercial ports. He said the lack of dredging is causing accidents.

“It’s a lack of priority, and money is scarce. A lot of inlets connected to the Intracoastal Waterway are not being dredged. It hasn’t been focused on enough by the media and members of Congress. It’s hard to get marina folks, commercial fishermen and boaters organized,” Marlowe said.

The Port of Cape May shows how even large commercial fishing fleets have a problem getting deeper water. The federal government dredges to the U.S. Coast Guard base because it is deemed important, but a short distance away, Cold Spring Fish & Supply, also known as the Lobster House docks, can send its scallop fleet out or bring them in only at high tide.

“Our problem area is from the Coast Guard base to my dock. It’s their responsibility. It’s what you pay taxes for. It hurts our business to have to wait for a tide shift,” Cold Spring Fish & Supply owner Keith Laudeman said.