Beaches' mayors worry: Will sand, fences arrive in time?

Jack Gordon doesn't expect to be able to walk on the dune that protects the Bethany Beach boardwalk from the pounding waves and rising waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Yet nothing stopped him Friday from walking on arguably one of the most important protective barriers for all of Bethany Beach in an ongoing battle against ocean surge and flooding. 

It's such a big worry for Gordon and the two mayors of neighboring beach towns South Bethany and Fenwick Island, they combined to pen a letter to Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control officials.

While the mayors of the three beach towns say in the letter they are grateful for the recent state and federal funding for the $17.2 million beach replenishment project due to begin this winter, they are concerned that the planting of dune grass and the placement of fences that protect the dune will not be completed before the 2018 beach season and could even be delayed until April 2019.

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The dune and widened beach serve as a barrier between the coastal towns and the powerful waves that surge in passing storms. 

Delaware beaches have been battered the last few weeks by waves and high tides created by the remnants of hurricanes José and Maria, leaving less beach in these towns and all along Delaware's 26 miles of beaches.

That's a problem in a state that counts on the $6.9 billion a year that those strips of sand and nearby businesses contribute to the economy. 

But the problem of beach erosion – and the need for replenishment – is never-ending, and has existed long before this season.

So have the contributions of the federal government.

The current project will involve dredging 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from approved offshore borrow areas. The sand is pumped through a series of pipes onto the beaches of Bethany, South Bethany and Fenwick Island and then graded into a dune and berm template designed to reduce potential damage to infrastructure, businesses and homes.

Nearly five months ago, Carper stood at the Bethany Beach bandstand and announced that the three Delaware towns would undergo emergency beach nourishment at no cost to the state after a series of storms hit the Delaware beaches in 2015.

Carper said then that all the work done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build up the beach and dunes along the oceanfront was essentially destroyed by two major storms late in 2015 – Joaquin and Jonas – and that there was a need for this replenishment project.

Before that, there was significant sand losses from the strong nor'easter known as Nor'Ida in November 2009, Hurricane Irene in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and a January 2016 nor'easter that cut away what little dunes were left after an October 2015 nor'easter.

The mayors are so concerned that another year of storms might take out the dunes if fencing isn't put in place in a timely manner, they sent the letter offering to "help in any way we can to make sure the beach is done right for the next season." 

"The replenishment seems to be a little bit later than we expected this year, so we do want to make sure the beaches are in shape and ready for the beginning of the season," Gordon said.

Being in shape not only includes beach replenishment but also the planting of dune grass and putting up the fences that protect the dunes form people who have been known to sunbathe there and kids who like to slide down them.

Gordon said last year, the beach towns didn't get sand fences installed, so town officials found it hard to control anybody playing on the dunes and doing things that would destroy them, despite "plenty" of signs saying to keep off. 

"We wanted to let them know we would cooperate in any way we can and said we would offer volunteers to plant grass and whatever it takes along the dunes in order to make sure we are protected and ready for the coming season," Gordon said of the letter. 

While the nearly continuous cycle of feeding coastal Delaware's ever-disappearing beaches is getting another infusion of federal money that will go toward beach replenishment, South Bethany Mayor Pat Voveris said she is concerned about the vulnerability of the new dune once it is in place, especially when budgets are tight.

She said the sand fence keeps people from venturing onto the dune and riding it like a slide or traversing it because its height and size are enticing. 

"Both the sand fence and dune grass foster dune maintenance, development and protection in the collection of new sand and the restriction of interloping," she said.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineer officials are aware of the letter offering help from each of the three beach towns, but officials said the contract with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company includes the planting of the dune grass, as well as putting up up the protective fencing.

Corps spokesperson Steve Rochette said the dune fencing would be installed directly after dredging and beachfill operations are completed before beach season.

"Dredging and beachfill operations are expected to take place this winter, spring and perhaps early summer," he said. "Dune grass planting is not recommended to take place between April and September because plants aren't as likely to survive, so the dune grass planting as part of this contract will likely take place between October and December of 2018."

Gordon said he has cause for concern because Bethany Beach has over $12 million of infrastructure on the beach, not counting private entities. He said it is a lot cheaper to spend money to put in a replenishment on the beach than it is for FEMA to come out and pay for rebuilding the entire infrastructure along the beach. 

"These dunes are extremely vital, said Gordon, who has been mayor for four years and spent 10 years on town council. "If we wouldn't have received the replenishment a number of years ago, the boardwalk would have been gone at least twice in two major storms that happened since then." 

Looking out at the roiling ocean just off Bethany Beach's boardwalk on Friday, Gordon said it's vital the dune grass is planted and the fences are placed for protection.

"This is the beginning of the winter season and these are modest waves right now," he said. "When the nor'easters start coming in, the beaches are virtually unprotected. It is extremely important to get it done and we certainly are anxious to help in any way we can."

Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.