23rd Delaware beach grass planting held

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control held its 23rd Annual Delaware Beach Grass Planting March 24. More than 600 volunteers braved the weather and planted stems of beach grass in South Bowers Beach, Bowers Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach.

Beach grass helps build and stabilize dunes by trapping windblown sand. As the grass traps sand, it builds sand dunes higher and wider. Dunes are essential protection against damaging coastal storms. Stabilized dunes absorb wave energy, help hold back flooding, and act as major sand storage areas, which replenish sand to, eroded beaches during a storm.

Since the beach grass planting program was introduced in 1989, dedicated volunteers have planted more than 5 million stems of beach grass. Volunteers included individuals, families, civic and businesses from throughout the state. Beach grass stems were lined up for the teams of volunteers on a foggy and wet spring day in Rehoboth Beach.