Posted on August 7, 2024
Some Delaware Bay beach communities could eventually be getting some extra sand through an agreement reached by DNREC.
DNREC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a $3 million deal to begin the design stage of a project that will take dredged material from the Delaware River’s main shipping channel starting in Philadelphia and deposit it at selected Delaware beaches.
The design of sorting out how much sand can be available and where it would be best utilized is expected to take about 15 months.
A 2023 Army Corps study recommended Pickering Beach, Kitts Hummock, Bowers Beach, South Bowers Beach, Slaughter Beach, Prime Hook Beach, and Lewes Beach as communities that would benefit most from dredged sand.
Prime Hook’s potential inclusion would be dependent on creating a public access point.
About 3,000,000 cubic yards of sediment is dredged along the Delaware River from the Atlantic Ocean to Philadelphia, and is usually sent to upland disposal sites.
Federal appropriations have given $56.95 million to Delaware’s bay beaches in a similar manor to the now routine replenishments at Delaware’s ocean beaches.
“We appreciate the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their collaboration and commitment. Together, we finalized this critical agreement, addressing the interests of both parties involved, to protect our communities, infrastructure and wildlife habitat from coastal storms,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “We will continue to endure the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise and more frequent intense storms, but we are working together to make Delaware’s coastal communities more resilient and better prepared for the future.”
