Beach replenishment nearly complete in Dewey Beach

It won’t be in time for Memorial Day weekend, but beach replenishment in Dewey Beach is nearing completion.

After multiple weeks in Rehoboth Beach, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor Weeks Marine began moving sand in Dewey Beach late last week. Between the two, about 500,000 cubic yards of sand will have been added as part of the project – about 300,000 in Rehoboth; about 200,000 in Dewey.

In an email May 25, Steve Rochette, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District spokesperson, said Dewey should be completed shortly after the Memorial Day holiday. Work on the project will start shutting down Friday morning and won’t ramp up again until about 6 p.m., Monday, May 29.

In Rehoboth Beach, work continues on stormwater outfall pipes at Maryland and Virginia avenues that were damaged during last year’s Mother’s Day storm. Rochette said work on the outfalls will also continue after the holiday shutdown and is expected to wrap up in early June.

Beachgoers may notice the new sand isn’t the same color as the old sand, but there’s nothing to worry about. Rochette said the sand color appears darker because it’s still wet and hasn’t been exposed to the sun in millennia. It typically returns to something more familiar over time, he said.

Earlier in the week, May 23, Sen. Tom Carper was in Dewey to check on the progress. The senator played a critical role in securing about $24 million for beach replenishment in Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, South Bethany and Fenwick Island.

Carper was joined by Dewey Beach Mayor Bill Stevens, project manager Pete Gori, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Col. Ramon Brigantti and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn Garvin.

Projects like this are critically important for protecting property, life and the local economy, said Garvin. Storms are more severe and these efforts have been working, he said.