Living shoreline hopes to ease erosion at Thompson Island Preserve

REHOBOTH BAY, DE -- The first phase of a project looking to protect the shores of Thompson Island from erosion is nearing completion, according to project leaders.

Bob Collins, the Program and Facilities Manager with Delaware's Center for the Inland Bays, said the project is the largest living shoreline currently in the Rehoboth Bay. Collins said the project is headed by the center, along with DNREC and other contracted partners.

The first phase of the project targets a section of the island that is experiencing heavy erosion from wind and water, according to project officials. Crews installed around 400 wave-breaking devices, also known as oyster castles, along the section's shore. Officials said this portion of the project cost around $1.1 million.

"They break down the wave energy, or dampen it until it's non-destructive," Doug Janiec, a senior restoration ecologist with Sovereign Consulting, said. "The waves still come through a little bit, and we want them to. It keeps the nutrients and the oxygen circulating in the water behind the structures. It also allows the waves to still transport sediment behind the castles to start rebuilding the beach naturally."

Janiec said the castles offer an environmentally friendly way to fight against eroding shores, and also benefit the water quality and ecosystems within the bay.

"It's like a reef. You'll have shellfish, oysters, and barnacles attached to these," Janiec said. "The crabs will use the ledges to feed off of, the birds will use them as perches."

Collins said the project is not just environmentally beneficial. He said Thompson Island is culturally significant to the Nanticoke Indian Tribe, another reason they're looking to protect it.

"It's sacred to native people in the area, so that's one of the drivers of the project," Collins said. "The project, so far, will preserve the most important part of the island. Sea level rise is getting worse, and erosion isn't going to stop without a little bit of help."

Collins said this is just one of four planned phases for the project, all of which look to protect areas of the island. However, he said the other three phases still lack funding. Collins said they estimate that the additional phases would cost around the one-million-dollar amount, if not more. However, he said the final amount will be determined once contractors are selected.