FENWICK ISLAND, Del. - The Army Corps of Engineers and Delaware are working together on plans to start repairing the beaches along the coast in Sussex County.
The beach replenishment project is supposed to start in March going into the summer. The town of Fenwick Island just found out that its beach replenishment will go past the Fourth of July, which the town says is disappointing due to community outreach events already scheduled, but the Army Corps has a plan to address those concerns.
Steve Rochette, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers told WRDE, "When we do work in the summer we try to limit it. We try to post updates daily as to where the work is happening, so people are aware. We know what those impact areas are, particularly in the summer, so we try to minimize the impacts as best as possible."
Despite concerns about missing out on summer beach activities, some people think it's needed. Local Eric Schuetz said, "I think it would bother me because, especially if we have people coming to stay with us, if we're having to move to a different section of beach, that would be a problem. Other than that, I think they have to do this and the sooner they get started, the sooner they'll get finished."
Others think Fenwick doesn't need replenishment all that much, like local Neil Thomas. "I think there have been times when we've needed it, but right now the beach is pretty wide and the dunes are huge," he said.
But no matter the side, the focus is on the upkeep of the beaches and the areas that surround it.
"There are significant risks for our coastal communities for things like infrastructure, homes, businesses, boardwalks, utility lines, and roads," Rochette said. "Having that sort of dune in place to act as a buffer during the storm events and to have a beach in front of it can really reduce the risk of damages to all that infrastructure."