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Mayor: nor'easter severely eroded Bethany Beach; town presses loop‑canal dam and boardwalk repairs
Summary
Following a multi‑day nor'easter, Bethany Beach officials told the council the dune and beach system protected central infrastructure but suffered serious erosion. The town described short‑ and long‑term responses including engineering repairs, a 90% design for the boardwalk plaza, and a permitting timeline for the proposed loop‑canal (bladder) dam.
Mayor opened the meeting by saying the town's beach and dune system "took a significant hit this past week from a severe several day nor easter" and that the dunes "protected the boardwalk, our businesses, our bandstand, and our homes," underscoring the need for engineered protections.
Town Manager Cliff Gravier gave the most detailed assessment, saying sand loss has left several ramps adjacent to the boardwalk closed because of a six‑foot drop at the dune edge that could increase to about 10 feet without intervention. He said there is not enough local sand to restore safe access "absent some sort of intervention by the state or the federal government." Engineers will deliver a 90% design and a more concrete cost estimate for plaza and substructure work in the coming weeks; an initial concept estimate for repairs was $97,000, Gravier said.
Council members and staff also discussed longer‑range coastal resilience work. Gravier updated the public on the proposed loop‑canal (bladder) dam project and said earlier design work had reached roughly a 60% level (described in the meeting as functionally closer to 80–90%). He said deed‑restriction issues with the National Park Service have been resolved and the project is now engaging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Depending on federal agency timing and permitting, Gravier gave a planning estimate that permitting would take about 12–18 months and that, if approvals proceed, the project could be ready for construction in roughly 18 months to two years.
The meeting also noted the operation of a sand‑transfer system at the Indian River Inlet that recently moved about 15,000 cubic yards of sand in eight days; town staff described this as an operational example of how mechanical systems can reduce dredging needs.
Mayor and staff urged caution about public access and explained which ramps remain open. Gravier and other officials said they will continue to pursue state and federal assistance and will return to council with design details and cost estimates when they are available.
