First part of Indian River Inlet dredging project almost done

After several months of hard work, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is about to successfully complete the first phase of Indian River Inlet emergency dredging and beach nourishment project.

The dredging and beachfill of the north side of the Indian River Inlet, launched in late November, is on schedule for completion by mid-February and will add almost half a million cubic yards of sand to the beach and dunes, DNREC said in a news release.

DNREC’s portion of the project is pumping and placing 480,000 cubic yards of sand to restore the severely eroded beach and dune, protecting vital infrastructure including State Route 1, after a dune breach last summer followed by months of trucking in sand on an emergency basis. The amount is about 100,000 more CY of sand than the original plan.

The Department’s restoration efforts at the inlet are focused on strengthening the dune against storm inundation while reshaping the beach to reduce erosion.

The project has restored the dune to a width of 25 feet at its crest, with a height of 6 to 8 feet relative to beach elevation. The nourished beach now extends at least 150 feet wide along more than 5,000 linear feet of shoreline.

While DNREC nears completion of its work along the north side of the inlet, the USACE is preparing to initiate the a complementary phase of the dredging and beach nourishment project later this year, with a target of 800,000 cubic yards of sand total between the two projects.

Both agencies are working in tandem to ensure the long-term stability of the beach, dune and surrounding infrastructure.