BETHANY BEACH, Del.- The Town of Bethany Beach has launched construction of the Loop Canal Retaining Wall, a $1.37 million project scheduled to begin on Oct. 27, 2025, to protect eroding land between Lake Bethany and the Loop Canal.
Tom Sgroi, president of the Lake Bethany Community Association, said he’s pleased the project is finally moving forward. “I really am glad that they're starting this project. And if you look at the banks, it’s a need. It’s been a need for repair,” Sgroi said.
According to town officials, the project will create an approximately 855-foot-long retaining wall closely following the current eroding bank. Once completed, the strip will be replanted with loblolly pines, southern bayberry shrubs, grasses, and other native species to enhance wildlife habitat and natural screening. The area serves as a nesting site for herons and is home to many native plants.
“It needs it to prevent the entire strip from eroding away over time,” Sgroi said. Homeowners along the project site said they understand the work is necessary, even if it means some trees will be removed.
The town says McCormick and Taylor Engineering will oversee construction to ensure compliance and environmental protection. The contractor plans to move barges into the Loop Canal via the Indian River Inlet and Assawoman Canal on Nov. 4, with equipment expected to remain in place through Nov. 6.
To limit environmental disruption, Murtech will install a turbidity curtain to contain sediment during construction. The work will include excavation, tree removal, wall installation, backfilling, and final planting, followed by a project review and approval. Some staging of equipment will occur near Sandbar Court, where people who live nearby may experience temporary construction noise and limited parking access.
This retaining wall effort follows ongoing local and federal attention to erosion and flooding challenges in Bethany Beach. A geological survey done in 2023 found that at least 85% of the town lies at sea level, leaving it highly vulnerable to rising tides. At that time, officials stated that more than 95% of the town’s stormwater drains into the Loop Canal, causing frequent flooding when tides push water back into the drainage outlets.
The town received $500,000 in federal Community Project Funding to support the Loop Canal and Lake Bethany Erosion Mitigation Project. The funds are part of a $14 million package of appropriations signed by President Joe Biden in 2024, aimed at addressing critical infrastructure and environmental needs across Delaware.
The Bethany Beach retaining wall marks another step in the town’s long-term strategy to protect its shoreline and preserve its unique coastal ecosystem.
