Posted on August 5, 2024
PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District has signed a design agreement with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) for the Delaware Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM) for the Delaware River, Philadelphia to Sea Project, also known as the ‘Delaware Bayshore BUDM Project.’
The agreement, signed by USACE Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Jeffrey Beeman and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin and effective as of July 30, 2024, outlines federal and non-federal responsibilities and requirements and enables USACE to begin design efforts on the project. The agreement is for $3 million total, cost shared 90% federal and 10% non-federal.
The project allows for a one-time placement of sand at locations identified in the separate Delaware River Dredged Material Utilization (DMU), DE study, which examined opportunities to beneficially use dredged material from the Philadelphia to the Sea federal navigation channel. It ultimately recommended placement of sand at multiple communities along the Delaware Bayshore. Federal appropriations have provided $56.95 million in funding including appropriations from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
A Design Coordination Team, with representatives from USACE and DNREC, will oversee the project. The team will work to identify available quantities of sand within the federal navigation channel and at the Buoy 10 borrow area in the Delaware Bay. USACE and DNREC will also coordinate on potential placement locations. Design work will include updating surveys, assessing beach conditions and needs, specifying placement areas and elevations, and designing beach profiles. Environmental coordination and real estate acquisition will also be required.
The design phase is expected to take approximately 15 months to complete, with subsequent construction phases to follow based on funding and priority needs.
“I’m proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the State of Delaware,” said USACE Philadelphia District Commander Jeffrey Beeman. “We are excited to work collaboratively with the DNREC team to move this important Delaware Bayshore effort forward.”
“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 M. 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.”
