OCEAN VIEW, Del. – In an effort to bolster navigability in southern Delaware waterways, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has announced the commencement of two significant dredging projects set to kick off around the new year.
This map shows where dredging will take place in the White Creek and Assawoman Canal (DNREC).
The projects, spearheaded by DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section in collaboration with McLean Contracting Company of Glen Burnie, Md., aim to remove approximately 80,000 cubic yards of shoaled sediment from the Assawoman Canal and White Creek. Funding for this $8.48 million initiative stems from appropriations in the fiscal year 2022 and 2023 Bond Bills, as well as the Waterway Management Fund.
Dredging activities, initially initiated in early 2023 but paused due to environmental restrictions, will begin at the southern end of the Assawoman Canal. Upon completion, anticipated in early February 2024, the crews will transition to White Creek, with the project expected to conclude by late winter or early spring.
The restoration efforts aim to enhance safety for boating and recreational use on the two vital waterways northwest of Bethany Beach in Sussex County. White Creek, flowing from south to north into Indian River Bay, connects the Assawoman Canal to the Indian River Bay, servicing numerous marinas and boat ramps.
Tom Fowler, the owner of Ocean View Marina and Back Bay Charter Tours, was particularly happy with the news that dredging would be resuming soon as the poor water conditions had been impacting his business.
“A lot of folks on White Creek, they won’t come up to the marina to get gas at low tide just because it’s a little too shallow, so that means there’s times where during the week low tides right in the middle of the day and nobody’s going to come.”, explained Fowler.
DNREC has identified both White Creek and the Assawoman Canal as top priorities for navigation improvements based on resident surveys, recreational user feedback, and analyses of channel depth, boater safety, and environmental considerations.
For White Creek, dredging will cover an area 60 feet wide and 12,400 feet long, from the mouth of the creek to the point where the main channel splits into two prongs near Betts Avenue in Ocean View. The Assawoman Canal dredging, covering an area 35 feet wide and 2,400 feet long, will resume between its confluence with White Creek and the Central Avenue bridge.
The dredged material will be repurposed to restore salt marshes at DNREC’s Assawoman Wildlife Area, providing environmental benefits and aiding coastal wetlands in adapting to sea-level rise and other stressors.
To ensure public safety during dredging activities, the U.S. Coast Guard will issue Local Notices to Mariners advisories, cautioning boaters to maintain a safe distance from the dredging areas. Floating and submerged pipelines will be deployed, and support vessels will operate in both White Creek and the Assawoman Canal throughout the project.
Environmental restrictions dictate completion by the end of February for White Creek and by March 31 for the Assawoman Canal to minimize impacts on hibernating diamondback terrapins. The Coast Guard recommends removing commercial fishing nets, crab pots, and other structures from the dredging areas.
As DNREC moves forward with these crucial projects, the community can anticipate safer and more accessible waterways for recreational and commercial use in the near future.