DELAWARE- On September 26th, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will host a virtual community meeting to share results from a study on the economic benefits of beach nourishment. According to DNREC, the study will develop cost-share ratios, based on these benefits, to be presented to policymakers.
Delaware's beaches and dunes protect both public and private infrastructure, including homes and roads, from erosion during coastal storms. Without projects like beach nourishment, beaches would be destroyed by erosion, which could harm the tourism industry and potentially reduce the number of customers for businesses in beach communities.
Frank Cole, owner of Atlantic Cycles in Rehoboth Beach, says that without beach nourishment, stores on the boardwalk like his probably wouldn’t survive.
“When these big storms roll around in the fall, and even sometimes in the winter, the waves sometimes come right up to the boardwalk. If it were not for the dunes and beach restoration, there would be a lot more property damage,” explained Cole.
DNREC's virtual meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on September 26th.
