Contact: Tony Pratt, Shoreline and Waterway Management, phone: (302) 739-9921
or Melinda Carl, Public Affairs, phone: (302) 739-9902

Ceremony Highlights $19.8 Million Bethany/South Bethany Beach Replenishment Project Set to Start in September

Today, Aug. 31, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Towns of Bethany Beach and South Bethany Beach hosted a ceremony at the Bethany Beach boardwalk grandstand to mark the much-anticipated Bethany/South Bethany Beach Replenishment Project. DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes introduced state, federal, and local officials, who worked tirelessly to make the project a reality. Delaware’s Congressional Delegation led the ceremonial “sand toss” symbolizing the replenishment project set to start in September.

“It gives me great satisfaction to see the Bethany/South Bethany beach replenishment project begin,” said Governor Ruth Ann Minner. “I commended everyone involved for their dedication and perseverance. By replenishing the beaches in our vital communities of Bethany and South Bethany Beaches, we help protect property and lives from coastal storms. We also benefit from the recreation and tourism we derive from our beautiful beaches.”

The project involves placement of approximately 3.2 million cubic yards of sand to create a beach-and-dune system along 2.8 miles of ocean front from the northern end of Bethany Beach to Fenwick Island State Park. The sand will be pumped in from an offshore borrow area approximately 2.5 miles east of South Bethany Beach. The beach will be widened by a minimum of 150 feet with an average elevation of 7 feet above sea level. The dunes will have a 25 foot wide dune crest and will be built to an average elevation of 16 feet above sea level. Beach grass will be planted and sand fences erected to provide shoreline protection and reduce the potential for coastal storm damage to property.

The $19.8 million project is made possible by Delaware’s Congressional Delegation, who secured 65 percent federal funding for the project. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is providing the balance of the funds as the non-Federal sponsor.

“This much-needed replenishment is going to benefit the entire economy,” said Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., who was unable to attend the ceremony. “Our residents and visitors will enjoy the superior safety, which we are able to achieve while preserving Bethany’s precious ecosystem. I can’t wait for it to be completed.”

Senator Thomas R. Carper remarked. "What a fitting weekend to kick off this beach replenishment project at Bethany Beach. As our local beaches, including Bethany, swell with visitors for the traditional last weekend of summer, the government is reaffirming its belief in this beach and all of the wonderful opportunities it brings to our state. As people leave this weekend, the Army Corps of Engineers will begin working diligently on replenishing the sand and dunes to protect this beach so that next year, on this very same weekend, people can enjoy the improvements we are starting here today."

"Replenishment plays a significant role in the management and restoration of our beaches. I am grateful that through state and federal efforts, we can ensure Bethany and South Bethany's coastline will be protected," said Congressman Michael N. Castle. "Our beaches are a great place for recreation and serve as a habitat for important species, but they also provide a critical barrier against storm damage and flooding and protect our coastal communities."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will manage the construction of the project. “This project signifies the culmination of a process that began with a federal study in the early 1990s - materially reducing the risk of storm damages along Delaware's valuable Atlantic coastline," said Lt. Col. Gwen E. Baker, the Corps' Philadelphia District Commander. "We look forward to another successful partnership with our good friends at DNREC."

The prime contractor for the project is Weeks Marine Inc. of Covington, Louisiana.

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