LEWES, Del. - The Delaware River and Bay Authority is proposing to remove nearly 51,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Lewes Ferry Terminal to maintain waters used by the Cape May–Lewes Ferry.
The proposed maintenance dredging would cover approximately 9.6 acres, including the main ferry basin, access channel, and a nearby area at the Pilots’ Association dock west of the terminal at Cape Henlopen Drive. The application lists December of 2026 and January 2027 as the proposed dredging and disposal schedule.
According to the permit application, the last dredging cycle at the location was in 2018.
DRBA proposes dredging the main basin and access channel to 11 feet below mean low water, and the Pilots’ Association dock area to eight feet below mean low water. The application also allows for one additional foot of dredging in both areas.
About 50,945 cubic yards of sediment would be removed using mechanical equipment and taken to White’s Basin in Logan Township, New Jersey, according to the proposal.
The applicant says it expects no impacts to wetlands or beaches, though dredging would temporarily increase cloudiness in nearby waters. A turbidity curtain would be used to help contain disturbed sediment, and the work would follow restrictions on when in-water activities can occur to protect aquatic life, according to the application.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is reviewing whether the activity is consistent with Delaware’s coastal management policies.
Public comments on the proposed dredging are being accepted from Oct. 14 through Nov. 13, 2026. Information on how and where to submit public comments can be found here.
