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Beach replenishment coming to Pickering Beach, Kitts Hummock and Bowers Beach

Courtesy of fenwickisland.delaware.gov

Beach replenishment at Pickering Beach, Kitts Hummock and Bowers Beach is expected to start soon.

DNREC announced it will begin the work in February, pending permit approvals.

Sand will be trucked from an inland source and used to fill in the beaches to counter erosion.

In a statement, Gov. John Carney attributed Delaware beach erosion in part to sea level rise. He said the beach replenishment work will make Delaware’s environment and coastal economy more resilient.

Officials say these three beaches were chosen because they lost significant amounts of sand last year in erosion from Delaware Bay tides and waves.

According to DNREC officials, Bowers Beach was last replenished in 2018, Kitts Hummock in 2014, and Pickering Beach in 2001.

This year’s replenishment of the beaches is expected to be completed in May. It will be funded in part by $300,000 in Community Transportation Funding from Delaware legislators.

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.