Spotlight on Indian River Inlet Sand Bypass System

Congresswoman Sarah McBride yesterday highlighted $600,000 in Community Project Funding she secured for the ongoing operation of the Indian River Inlet Sand Bypass System at Delaware Seashore State Park.

The sand bypass system moves sand from the south side of the inlet to the north, helping counteract beach erosion, maintain navigability, enhance storm resilience, and protect critical transportation infrastructure, including Coastal Highway and the Charles W. Cullen Bridge.

“As the state with the lowest mean elevation in the country, we feel the impacts of the climate crisis and sea level rise every day – especially in our coastal communities,” said McBride. 

“The federal investment we are celebrating today strengthens the longstanding federal-state partnership supporting the Inlet’s Sand Bypass System and helps ensure we can continue to nourish our beaches and protect critical transportation infrastructure.”

The Indian River Sand Bypass System, overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), is fully operational following a multi-year effort to upgrade the facility, including conversion to electric power and installation of new pumps. The system resumed operations earlier this year to move sand and maintain beach conditions at the inlet.

The federal funding secured by McBride will support continued operation of the system, helping ensure it can reliably move sand from the south side of the inlet to the north and maintain an average of 100,000 cubic yards of sand placement annually.