Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches are expected to get a sand refill this fall.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) awarded the more than $7 million beach replenishment contract to Illinois-Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company. The project is a cost share between state and federal governments.
The artificial dune and berm meant to protect area infrastructure from storm damage was completed at the beaches in a joint venture between USACE and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). This will be the fifth time new sand has been added.
“Built into the project is what we call periodic nourishment, and that means we come back and place additional sand on the beach in the communities to maintain the beach, basically,” said USACE Philadelphia District spokesman Steve Rochette.
The contract calls for dredging of more than 400,000 cubic yards of sand from an offshore site to be pumped through pipes and onto Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches—replenishing the artificial dunes.
“Having a dune and berm in place is designed to really take the energy from the storm as opposed to the infrastructure—homes, businesses, roads, boardwalks, all the things behind the dune,” said Rochette. “So it’s really designed to be sacrificial in nature. So it’s one of the more cost effective ways we can manage risk and reduce risk of storm damages.”
The replenishment project is expected to begin as early as next month.
