Dewey receives $50,000 stormwater planning grant

The Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council awarded a Surface Water Matching Planning Grant to Dewey Beach in the amount of $50,000 during an April 20 meeting.

Dewey was one of three projects approved for a grant, which according to the council’s website, was created to improve water quality in the state’s impaired watersheds by supporting the planning, preliminary engineering, and feasibility analysis of surface water improvement projects and activities.

The proposal submitted by Dewey to the council calls for innovative stormwater management practices and living shoreline techniques to help attenuate erosive wave energy and reduce sediment and nutrient loads into Rehoboth Bay. A ranking criteria will be developed to assess the implementation priorities.

Dewey Beach Mayor Diane Hanson said April 21 the grant is wonderful for the town.

“We’re looking forward to getting some ideas for long term solutions,” she said.

The projected cost of the project is more than $104,000. The town will be responsible for the remaining $54,000.

The town worked with Emily Seldomridge, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays watershed coordinator, on the grant proposal. She said the goal is to create a phased rehabilitation and implementation plan into place.

Hanson said she expects the grant discussion to on the town’s next council meeting at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 14.

She said she doesn’t expect the topic to be too controversial.

“This is a project that needs to be done,” she said. “We’re a town surrounded by water, and flooding will continue to be a problem. We need to be proactive.”

Fenwick Island received a grant of $15,000 for the development of drainage and water quality design for three locations – West Indian Street, West Farmington Street and the intersection of West Delaware Avenue and Island Street.

Bechtel Park in New Castle County received a grant of nearly $10,000 to develop a plan that will comprehensively assess the park’s current stormwater situation.

Grant proposals were submitted by March 17, and then a review and ranking of the proposals was held April 4. All three grants received were considered eligible.