REHOBOTH/DEWEY BEACH, Del. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District awarded a $7.21 million contract for periodic nourishment of the Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach Coastal Storm Risk Management project. Beach replenishment is expected to begin this fall.
The beaches have been replenished 4 times in the past decade with the last repair taking place in 2016. More than 400,000 cubic yards of sand offshore will be pumped onto Rehoboth and Dewey beaches during this repair.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Great Lakes and Dredge Dock company is expected to begin dredging this fall, possibly as early as October.
Mike Littlejohn has lived in Rehoboth Beach to see past replenishments.
"I miss the days when you could walk under the boardwalk."
The frequent surfer doesn't want to miss any waves this fall.
"The beach gets built up and then there's a drop off and the waves break right on the beach and there isn't any surf to ride."
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) says in a statement to WRDE: "The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach renourishment project announced by the Corps of Engineers reflects the agency's ongoing partnership with the Corps to protect Delaware's coastal communities, critical infrastructure, and recreational and tourism amenities that are vital to the state’s economy. DNREC is eager to get this project started and is appreciative that the timing of the project increases the likelihood that beach renourishment work will be completed outside of the peak summer season."
Gus and Gus will be open through Thanksgiving, co-owner Bill Svolis agrees the project's timing is right. "Better in the fall than in the summer time," he says.
Svolis doesn't think this will keep people out of town. "It's a big boardwalk. I mean it's a mile long."
Dewey Beach Commissioner Paul Bauer can think of even more benefits a bigger beach will bring to businesses. "The biggest draw to the beach area is putting your feet in the sand and we need more beach," he says. "This is a lot of tourism it does for the state. I'm sure there's going to be another storm or two that comes up the coast and this is just the cost of doing business here at the beach area.
Bauer says the contractor has just finished up in Cape May and that they'll start setting up in Rehoboth and Dewey next month. Bauer is looking forward to this project especially because it will take place while the beaches aren't as crowded. "Hopefully four weeks of pumping sand and then we're good for winter and we hope to see everybody back in the spring," he says.
Rehoboth Beach will be replenished between North Surf Road south to the bandstand. Sand will be pumped onto Dewey Beach between Swedes Street and Beach Avenue.