Contact: Tony Pratt, Shoreline and Waterway Management Section, phone: (302) 739-9921
or Ed Voight, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, phone: (215) 656-6515

Delaware's Restored Beaches Win National Award/ DNREC and Army Corps of Engineers Share Honor for Rehoboth/Dewey Beach Restoration

The Rehoboth/Dewey Beach restoration is being honored as one of the 2006 Top Restored Beaches in the nation by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association. The restoration of 2.5 miles of coast just south of the Delaware Bay was completed in September 2005 with $11.6 million in federal funds and $6.3 million from the state. The restoration, one of six honored as a top beach in the U.S., was presented to program partners, Tony Pratt of DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section and Lt. Col. Robert Ruch, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District.

“This award bears witness that great partnerships yield great results,” said Lt. Col. Ruch. “From the tireless efforts of Delaware’s congressional delegation to bring this project to fruition, to DNREC’s marshalling of its own resources to make it happen, the Corps has enjoyed an unsurpassed level of support and cooperation in building a better beach—and protecting one of the first state’s greatest assets.”

More than 1.7 million cubic yards of sand were used to create a 125-150 foot wide protective beach and the 25-foot-wide dune elevated six feet above the main beach area. Dune habitat was re-established along the shoreline through active planting and sand fencing. The project also created 45 pedestrian dune crossovers, two handicapped-access dune crossings and two vehicular dune crossings.

“The restoration was a labor of love for us,” said Mr. Pratt. “Delaware’s beaches are a valuable natural resource, and with the creation of new vegetative dunes we were able to integrate habitat development and protection, while at the same time enhance the recreational aspects of our beautiful beaches.”

“The dunes are vital to the protection of our coastline reducing property damage during a northeaster or a hurricane,” continued Mr. Pratt. “With this award and the success of the restoration, we hope additional funding will become available for projects along the Delaware coast,” he said.

For more than 30 years, U.S. communities have been restoring their beaches by placing sufficient quantities of sand on eroding beaches to reverse or offset the effects of erosion. Every coastal state has a beach project; in all more than 370 locations have been restored including some of the best-know beaches in the country, such as Miami Beach and Coney Island. Without restoration these beaches would be very narrow or lined with seawalls or other structures that would limit their use.

Established under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1866, the Philadelphia District manages the water resources of the entire Atlantic Coast in Delaware and most of New Jersey, playing a key role in coastline protection of this region. Over the past 15 years, beachfill projects were completed at several communities, including Atlantic City, Ocean City and Cape May, New Jersey and Lewes, Rehoboth/Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island in Delaware.

DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section uses a variety of techniques to maintain and improve the state’s beaches, including regulating coast construction, depositing sand on beaches, planting beach grass and installing fencing to promote the establishment of dunes. To learn more about programs currently underway, visit DNREC’s web site at www.dnrec.delaware.gov

Founded in 1926, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) represents the scientific, technical and political interests along the coast in an effort to shape national research and policy concerning shore and beach management and restoration. In order to build awareness of and appreciation for the value and importance of America’s restored beaches, the ASBPA established its Top Restored Beach Awards. Coastal communities are asked to nominate their restored beaches and an independent panel reviews the selections based on its ecological and economic success, the short- and long-term performance of the restoration project and the unique challenges overcome in the course of completing the restoration.

In addition to Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches, the other five 2006 Top Beach winners are:
• Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
• Captiva Island, Florida
• Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL
• Pinellas County Beaches, FL
• Sea Bright to Manasquan Beach, NJ

To request additional information or a photo of the Rehoboth and Dewey Beach restoration project, contact Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs Office at 302-739-9902 or by e-mail at Melanie.Rapp@state.de.us
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