BROADKILL BEACH, DE -- Officials with Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) have outlined a proposal to fix the dune along Broadkill Beach.
The proposal would involve the Army Corps of Engineers realigning a one-mile section of the dune at Broadkill Beach, according to DNREC officials. The work would reportedly shift the existing dune landward, redistribute sand to reconstruct the eroded center section, and remove scarping along beach access points. The project is being considered to make the dunes more consistent with the natural shoreline, protect nearby buildings against storm surges, and ensure beachgoers' safety, according to officials.
Scott Hutton lives along the dune, and told WBOC he sees the toll erosion has taken on the shores.
"We watch it every storm and every high tide, especially when the moon is full and comes all the way up," Hutton said. "It leaves you with some fear and anxiety about it washing away."
Hutton said he is in favor of the project. However, he said he does have questions about where the sand for the dune replenishment would come from.
"Where are they taking it from, and how do people feel about where it's coming from?" Hutton said.
Some neighbors told WBOC they have concerns about the proposal taking sand from other parts of the beach to redistribute to the center. Others told WBOC they worry the solution will only be temporary.
For Tracy Thomas, addressing the shrinking beach is a concern.
"They really need to do that because high tide is now all the way up to the dunes," Thomas said.
Thomas said replenishing the dunes would help her feel safer as a property owner.
"We lived through tropical storm Florence, and that caused some damage," Thomas said. "It would have caused a lot more damage if the dunes weren't here."
Michael Travers told WBOC he thinks the proposal is a step in the right direction, as long as it's accompanied by future plans.
"It's a little late, they should have done something back in 2016 when we had the dune first done," Travers said. "I think it would have been cheaper for the taxpayers to have the agreement back then, but at least we are rectifying it now."
The public comment period for that project closed Tuesday, July 8th, according to officials. However, leaders with the Broadkill Beach Preservation Association said a representative from DNREC will be at their meeting on July 19th to discuss the proposal in further detail with neighbors.