Lewes Beach nourishment begins, canal dredging continues

December 15, 2023 5

A large dredge is now parked in Delaware Bay near Roosevelt Inlet as a Lewes Beach nourishment project gets underway.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started pumping beach fill Dec. 14. Steve Rochette, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District spokesman, said the contract is for $4.9 million.

He said 104,000 cubic yards of material will be placed from Roosevelt Inlet to an area between Iowa and Missouri avenues. The fill is coming from a borrow site one-quarter mile offshore.

The beach nourishment project is scheduled to be finished at the end of December.

Rochette also said the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal maintenance dredging is continuing after minor delays. He said the contractor has had a few mechanical issues, which has slowed down the work.

Rochette said the current estimate is that the $1.6 million project will be finished by mid-January.

The canal is being dredged from Roosevelt Inlet to the Freeman Highway bridge. The sediment is being dumped into a disposal area between the canal and Cedar Street.

The canal dredging is among $50 million in improvements the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is making to Delaware’s ports and waterways.