This past weekend, at the opening weekend for another Dewey Beach debacle summer, several of us wondered how the hell the beach replinishment process works. Dewey, followed by Rehoboth, is undergoing beach replinishment as part of an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers who have in turn contracted to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company. Basically it appears that the Corps and Great Lakes have been contracted to maintain the beach along with periodic replinishment every three years.
Although that doesn't answer the real question...how the hell is this done? I found an article from the Cape Gazette that at least for the Rehoboth project (slated to start after Dewey) sand is actually pumped from the nearby Indian River Inlet and then on to the beach. Not sure if this is where they get all the sand, but it helps explain it.
In addition I found this recent article in the USAToday that actually debates the merits of the practice.
Either way, it appears that the Dewey portion of the project is supposed to be done by the end of June. Now I wonder if we will be able to have fun on the beach at Dewey now that the beach is bigger. I wouldn't count on it (unless you are thirteen or under).

These changes were part of a rider thrown on to the original contract just before signing. Be sure to look for these new additions after the Dewey/Rehoboth replenishment has concluded.
Rehoboth Stocking
Pole smokers - 20
Butt Pirates - 10
Pillow biters - 5
**these are all specialists in their given fields
Dewey Stocking Schedule
Jersey/Philadelphia Meat heads - 20 (many were getting side tracked in Rehoboth)
Curly Hair beach guys - 10 (too many cut their hair over the winter)
17 year old ladies - 7 (why not?)
Trevors - 0 (we're hoping the dominant male will spawn with as many females as possible to provide us with a large number of new offspring, preferably the curly haired kind)
Posted by: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company | May 31, 2005 at 11:48 AM
What's the best thing about having sex with 17 year old girls?
Posted by: A-K-B | May 31, 2005 at 01:18 PM