Massey’s Ditch dredging to start in January

The long-anticipated dredging of Massey’s Ditch is slated to begin in January. In preparation, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is hosting information sessions on the project.

According to a permit issued in November 2018 to DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship 100,000 cubic yards of sand – 50,000 from Massey’s Ditch and 50,000 in the channel near Lynch Thicket and Middle Island – will be placed on the Atlantic Ocean beach north of Indian River Inlet. Wisconsin-based J.F. Brennan Company Inc. was awarded the $3.6 million contract this summer.

During an Oct. 30 session at the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company Hall in Oak Orchard, Mike Powell, DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management program manager, said he expects the state’s contractor to begin mobilizing in the coming months. He said the contractor’s equipment will be stored on the north side of the Indian River Inlet in Delaware Seashore State Park.

The Oak Orchard session was the second of three information sessions. The first was held Oct. 23 in Bethany. Estimating 70 attendees at the two sessions, Powell said they give people an opportunity to learn more about the project.

Powell said he wished some more of the beachgoers had attended the session, but, he said, there’s just more interest in the navigational benefits to the project.

A big slug of beach-quality sand is going to be placed in an area that badly needs it, said Powell. Drift and other natural processes will cause the sand to move, he said. It may create sandbars that will benefit surfers between the dump site and the inlet’s north jetty, he said.

DNREC is hosting one more public information session on the upcoming project. It’s scheduled for 1 to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 3, in the Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave.

Prioritizing dredging projects for Inland Bays

In addition to the dredging information, DNREC is asking the public to participate in a survey to help prioritize dredging projects in the Inland Bays.

Conducting the survey for DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is Sierra Davis, a fellow from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Davis said survey participants are asked to rank 10 criteria in order of importance. Those criteria include dredging history, major channels, number of marinas, number of public boat ramps, availability of upland confined storage, options for beneficial use of dredge material, environmental impact assessments, economics, safety and navigability.

Davis said once the survey window closes, the state will determine what criteria participants say are the most important and begin developing a plan for future dredging projects. 

DNREC is taking survey responses through the end of November. The survey can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/CFN5TCQ. For more information on the survey, Davis can be reached at sierra.davis@state.de.us or by calling 302-739-9921.