LEWES, Del. — Lewes city leaders are exploring ways to address erosion at Blockhouse Pond and its surrounding shoreline.
Lewes' deputy city manager, Janet Reeves, told WBOC that they recently had a working group study erosion around the pond. While the group identified erosion on the shore, Reeves said it was not as dire as city officials originally thought. She said the more pressing concern is surface erosion — areas where grass has worn away, leaving roots exposed.
The deputy city manager said those worn areas often correspond with popular fishing spots, where repeated foot traffic has taken a toll on the ground.
“I do see a lot of people fishing, so it makes sense," Jocelyn Wood, a neighbor who often walks around the pond, said. "I hope they do something to preserve the pond. We want to hold on to the parks and trees as much as we can.”
Wood described Blockhouse Pond as a special place for the community and emphasized the importance of protecting the trees along the shoreline.
“This is a gem," Wood said. "In terms of preservation, you don't want the trees falling in. We need to hang on to as many living trees as possible.”
Other visitors shared similar sentiments, expressing a desire to see the pond protected for future use.
“I definitely would like them to save the pond, whatever it takes," Glennon Gordon, another neighbor, said Friday. "This pond has been here forever, and it's a great area to come. So I would like it to stay.”
In response to that study, city officials are considering a plan aimed at reducing erosion by directing foot traffic to specific areas. The deputy city manager said the city is looking at installing fishing platforms at some of the most heavily used spots. The long-term plan would include about five platforms along the shoreline, but the city hopes to start with one to evaluate its effectiveness.
The proposed platforms would also include living shoreline buffers underneath to help further protect the shoreline.
The deputy city manager said the city plans to discuss installing one of the fishing platforms at the Lewes City Council meeting scheduled for Jan. 12. If that platform is approved, Reeves said they will then discuss adding the funds needed for that platform into the budget for the next fiscal year.