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Bethany Beach officials announce grant award, timber wall contract and dredging updates to address flooding
Summary
Town officials said they won a $50,000 state match planning grant for Bethany West drainage, awarded an $1.31 million contract for an 850-ft timber wall, reported successful pump trials moving 15,000 cubic yards of sand, and described ongoing discussions with U.S. agencies on a mechanized dam study.
Town officials in Bethany Beach outlined multiple resilience actions and near-term projects intended to reduce tidal and storm flooding after a climate briefing.
Cliff reported that the town applied for a state surface-water planning matching grant in June and that the town was awarded the state match this week. “We applied for the grant in June. We were awarded the grant just last week,” Cliff said, describing a $50,000 local match to secure state planning funds to study drainage in Bethany West.
Officials also discussed coastal-protection work at the Indian River Inlet: federal dredging to protect Route 1 is beginning, and a recently trialed sand pump system moved about 15,000 cubic yards of sand over an eight-day period. Chip said that at that trial rate the pump could move roughly 100,000 cubic yards of sand per year to replenish the north beach.
Cliff summarized additional local projects tied to the Loop Canal: the town expects to construct an 850-foot timber wall to stabilize a deteriorating bank; he announced a contract with Mureek of Salisbury for roughly $1.31 million to build the timber wall. He said the town is pursuing permits for a living shoreline estimated at approximately $150,000 and plans a public workshop in November to present Penoni Engineering’s sea-level-rise study.
On a proposed dam at the confluence of the Aswoman and the Loop Canal, Cliff said conversations with deed holders (U.S. Parks and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) are moving forward after earlier delays. He described the dam design as a mechanically activated structure topping out at three feet; engineers modeled the design to limit upstream impacts, and the town has presented results to Ocean View and local legislators.
Officials cautioned that federal funding timing and broader appropriations processes could affect project scheduling. The mayor noted ongoing federal budget uncertainty and said town leaders will continue to press legislators for support.
The town also encouraged homeowners to adopt property-level measures to reduce runoff and said informational pamphlets and web resources are available. Town staff urged residents to attend the November workshop and review the state tools and reports that will accompany the climate action plan.
