Living shoreline proposed to address flooding, erosion in Dewey

Plans for a proposed living shoreline and repairs to a marsh drainage system in Dewey Beach await either revisions or a financial commitment from the town before the project can begin, Bob Collins of the Center for the Inland Bays told town commissioners Feb. 16.

Flooding and erosion are big problems at Sunset Park on the bay end of Dagsworthy Avenue, Collins said. Inland bay flooding is typically caused by weather events and exacerbated by sea-level rise, he said.

Storms are more intense; they hold more water vapor and winds are stronger, he said, and the area also experiences classic sunny-day flooding.

Erosion of the park land causes property damage upland and washes sediment into the water, he said, adding excess nitrogen and phosphorus that degrade water quality. A living shoreline uses nature-based solutions to address flooding and stabilize the shore, he said.

Plans feature a built-up sand dune enforced with hesco barriers, oyster shell bags on the outer edge of the project, plantings, a kayak launch and the installation of wave attenuation devices, which are concrete pyramid-shaped structures that absorb wave energy and calm the water.

Collins said plans also call for repairing existing drainage and plunge pools in the channel of the middle of the marsh at the Lions Club, which will help accept stormwater from McKinley Avenue and filter it into the bay.

The 30% projected cost of $701,000 will likely come down, Collins said, noting he had just received 60% projected costs, which had already been reduced to about $680,000.

CIB has secured $245,000 through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding and a community water quality grant of $75,000, he said. With volunteer labor valued at $30,000 and other state grants achieved totaling $75,000, that leaves a $276,000 funding shortfall that needs to be bridged, Collins said.

The next steps are either to raise funds or scale back/phase the project, he said, as CIB has tapped all typical funding sources and will look to the town to come up with remaining funds.

When funding is secured, he said, he can submit for the necessary state and federal permits. State permitting is painfully slow, Collins said, so he would hope to implement the project in fall 2025. 

Town Manager Bill Zolper said if the town approves funding, it will address two flooding issues at a good cost by creating a living shoreline on Dagsworthy Avenue and mitigating flooding on McKinley Avenue that flows into Hayden and Read streets. 

In April 2023, CIB officials made a similar presentation before town council; a vote has not yet been scheduled to approve a funding allocation.