Why Should Delaware Care?
Delaware’s beaches are a key part of the tourism industry, which has become a larger part of the state’s economy in recent years. The delays in their replenishment could threaten the buildings and roads on the coast and make the beaches smaller.
Two of Delaware’s popular beaches could shrink this year after federal funding cuts delayed plans to replenish them.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers typically works with the state to fund projects that replace eroded sand on Delaware beaches, which restores dunes and protects the coastline from storm damage.
But recent federal budget cuts have delayed nearly $20 million worth of replenishment projects at Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach . The federal share for the work is more than $15 million, according to a spokesman for Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Those projects were scheduled to begin last fall, according to Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach leaders.
Now, they will not start until at least the fall of 2027, DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson said.
Delaware’s beaches need regular replenishment because the force of ocean waves continuously washes away sand. Now, with the current delays, the risk of coastal flooding could be heightened.
Those beaches also are the center of Delaware’s tourism industry.
“We need beach nourishment for the economy, not only of the coastal towns but of the entire state,” Dewey Beach Town Manager Bill Zolper said.
Asked how concerned he is about the delays, Patterson said he holds a “seven out of 10 level of concern,” because the beaches protect critical infrastructure, such as Route 1.
In August 2024, beach erosion contributed to the flooding that prompted the Delaware Department of Transportation to shut down part of Route 1 near the Indian River Inlet.
Patterson said he is working with Delaware’s congressional delegation to secure funding for the projects in next year’s budget.
He said he may try to schedule all beach replenishment projects in Delaware at the same time to save money. A large part of the cost is simply getting the equipment to the project site, he said.
‘Risks to life and property’
Now is not the only time Delawareans have experienced delays in federal funding for coastal protection.
In October, Gov. Matt Meyer wrote an open letter to President Donald Trump asking for emergency coastal restoration funds following nor’easters that “severely damaged Delaware’s shoreline.”
“More delays will only increase risks to life and property and drive-up long-term disaster recovery costs,” he said.
Asked on Tuesday at a press conference about the letter, Meyer said he is “having constructive conversations” with the federal government. A spokesperson from Meyer’s administration later said she could not provide more specific information.
Zolper, Dewey Beach’s town manager, said his town also nearly lost federal funding for another flood prevention project last year.
Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden confirmed a $1 million grant for the town to build a pump station to get floodwater back into Rehoboth Bay. But the Trump administration later put the grant “on hold,” Zolper said.
Last month, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) was able to secure the grant again, allowing the project to move forward. The pump station is expected to be completed in the summer of 2028.
As for the oceanside of the town, Zolper said the dunes that protect it from flooding are in good condition now. But further delays to the beach replenishment project could degrade those dunes.
“There will be more of a chance of homes being destroyed,” he said.
