DNREC Preparing for Dredging at White Creek & Part of Assawoman Canal near Bethany Beach
Dredging of White Creek and a short stretch of the Assawoman Canal northwest of Bethany Beach will begin shortly after the New Year. The dredge spoils will be used to restore an area of degraded salt marsh at the Assawoman Wildlife Area. About 55,000 to 70,000 cubic yards of shoaled sediment will be removed while the main navigation channel for White Creek is restored and navigability is restored to Assawoman Canal. Removal of derelict crab pots and other marine debris from the project area is expected to begin this month.
Additional information from DNREC:
The聽$4.685 million project is funded largely from appropriations to DNREC in the fiscal year 2022 and FY23 budgets.
The project to be undertaken by DNREC鈥檚 Shoreline and Waterway Management Section and the contractor ResilientSeas, LLC will remove between 55,000 and 70,000 cubic yards of shoaled sediment. The work will restore the main White Creek navigation channel and the confluence of the Assawoman Canal to previous depths for safer boating and recreational use of both waterways.
DNREC identified White Creek and the Assawoman Canal as聽two of the top priorities for navigation improvements, based on surveys of residents and recreational users of the waterways, along with analysis of channel depth, boater safety and environmental issues. The White Creek navigation channel was last dredged as part of a phased program from 1997 through 2001. The Assawoman Canal was most recently dredged from 2010 to 2015.
Placement of the pipeline for dredged material will start in early January 2023. Dredging of the main channel is expected to begin in late January. Permit conditions require the dredging project to be completed by the end of March to minimize impacts to hibernating terrapins.
The U.S. Coast Guard will issue a Local Notice to Mariners advisory for boaters to exercise caution on both waterways and to maintain safe distance from the dredging activity. Floating and submerged pipelines will be positioned in White Creek, the Assawoman Canal and the eastern and western prongs of White Creek. Dredge and support vessels will be operating in the same areas over the course of the project.
The Coast Guard also recommends removing commercial fishing nets, crab pots and other structures from the dredging area.
