FENWICK ISLAND – A Fenwick Island committee is seeking the community’s support as it seeks permits for a dredging project in the Little Assawoman Bay.
Last week, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a public notice related to a subaqueous permit and water quality certification request filed by the Town of Fenwick Island. Councilman Bill Rymer, chair of the town’s dredging committee, said this week the community now has until Oct. 31 to provide comments on a long-awaited dredging project in the Little Assawoman Bay.
“It is very important for the regulatory agencies to hear directly from the community that this project will provide significant benefits especially related to improving boater safety and enhancing navigation in the Little Assawoman Bay,” he said. “These letters will highlight the community-wide support for this critical project.”
In June, the Town of Fenwick Island submitted three permit applications – one with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and two with DNREC – for a dredging project in the Little Assawoman Bay. Now in its third and final round of public notifications, the town is seeking public comments expressing support for the project.
“Once the public comment period closes, the regulatory agencies will complete their final reviews of our permit applications and deliver their conclusions,” Rymer explained. “We are hopeful that we have been able to address any concerns with each permit but will not know that answer until we receive their formal responses. We expect to receive final word on each permit application within the next 45-60 days.”
For years, the town’s dredging committee has worked with Lewes-based engineering firm Anchor QEA and independent consultant Tony Pratt to conduct a dredging project that would allow for better navigation in the neighboring bay. The town proposes to dredge roughly 19,000 cubic yards of material over approximately 4,000 linear feet in the north and south channels.
The municipality is also working with Carl M. Freeman Companies to place its dredged material on a parcel of land the company owns off Route 54. In August, committee members noted those negotiations were ongoing.
As the permitting process continues, town officials say DNREC will review all communications it receives from the public related to the dredging project. If approved, Rymer said work could finish as early as next spring.
“Once we receive final permit approvals, we will begin a formalized bidding process to identify contractors for the dredging project with the goal of completing the project during the Spring of 2024,” he said. “Clearly we still have some very important steps ahead of us, some of which are beyond our control, but we remain focused on successfully completing this project before the Summer 2024 season.”
