Cajun Cove condominiums stand between Rehoboth Bay and Bayard Avenue. During high tides and heavy rain, residents wade through water that’s frequently ankle-deep to reach their cars. The condo association recently hired Envirotech, a Milton-based consulting firm, to firm the shoreline. Envirotech started by dealing with phragmites, an invasive marsh reed.

“The phrag was just taking over, and no one else was really doing anything about it,” said Cove resident Mark Allan. He said condo owners on the lower level complained that their view was totally blocked by the reeds, which can grow eight to 10 feet tall.

Todd Fritchman, Envirotech president and captain of Dewey Beach Patrol, said Cajun Cove hired his company to restore its wetlands with an integrated vegetation management program. Fritchman said this demands controlling phragmites and seeding the marsh with the native species, spartina.

Phragmites spreads quickly by killing off competing plants, said Fritchman. It obstructs views and blocks out sunlight, and its roots secrete a compound toxic to other flora. Phragmites reeds are also high in flammable cellulose, Fritchman said, making them a considerable fire hazard.

In contrast, spartina, or cord grass, grows low, allowing sunlight to reach the marsh bed, and provides a food source for grass shrimp and blue crabs.

Fritchman said the area is an emergent salt marsh, meaning its vegetation grows under water. If Dewey doesn’t address the flooding problem soon, he said, the salt marsh will inevitably expand. “It’s never going to correct itself,” he said. “Sea-level rise is real.” Chris Bason, scientific and technical coordinator for the Center for the Inland Bays, agrees.

“As sea levels rise, those areas that are influenced will keep moving inland,” he said. “You have wetlands moving over areas that were formerly upland.” Organic material immersed in water decomposes more slowly, Bason said, and builds up, creating the foundation for a marsh.

“In the span of a few years, you’re looking at a salt marsh where you used to have a park,” he said. At an Aug. 22 roads committee meeting, Georgetown-based engineering firm Duffield Associates presented its preliminary Bayard Avenue studies. Representatives said fixing the problem could cost more than $750,000. While the town considers less-expensive solutions, Fritchman cautioned against half-measures or stopgaps.

“This isn’t something you can approach halfway,” he said. “You either solve the problem, or it’s going to get worse.”

A group organized to brainstorm Bayard Avenue solutions will meet Friday, Sept. 25.

Town Manager Gordon Elliott proposed the group at the Sept. 11 town council meeting. The objective, he said, was to assemble an informal group that can be consulted quickly and efficiently. Elliott suggested a group consisting of two Cajun Cove residents, two budget and finance committee members, two roads committee members and himself. Larry Killeen and Allan will represent the Cove, David King and Don Zeigler will represent the budget and finance committee, and Dale Cooke and Rick Judge will represent the roads committee.

Elliott said the working group will not act as a committee, nor will it take power from the roads committee. Allan said the roads committee already had its chance to fix the problem.

“None of them are Bayard Avenue stakeholders,” Allan said. “This has been going on for 10-plus years, and they haven’t done anything yet. None of us is really comfortable with this whole thing,” he said. “Nobody feels like this needs to be done all cloak-and-dagger.”

At the Sept. 11 meeting, Mayor Dell Tush said Elliott should just form a committee and give public notice to ensure Freedom of Information Act regulations aren’t violated.

“I don’t care what they call it,” he said. “Let’s just take action.”
Elliott was unavailable for comment.
The group will meet at the Lifesaving Station at 2 p.m.