The Brightside: Indian River Inlet Beach Revitalization
DELAWARE SEASHORE STATE PARK – Many of those on Delmarva are familiar with the Indian River Inlet bridge, an iconic bridge many use, and may even know a bit of the history when it comes to construction. However, the inlet beaches that lie beneath the bridge are the lesser-known collateral damage of the years of construction.
On the flip side, a group of surfers and state agencies concerned about a place they’ve come to call a second home are ensuring those beaches are never forgotten. “To me, beaches are a sacred place and so coming here and seeing that, that was not the case with all the debris, I can’t just turn a blind eye,” says Crystal Stokowski, a surfer, mother, community member, beach advocate, and volunteer.
Delaware is a state lined with beaches, which many locals and tourists frequent, and enjoy. However, those beaches are also a place many are trying to preserve. “For the last three, or four years, with the erosion and the bypass system not working, there’s just been so much debris that’s been uncovered,” says Stokowski. “Unfortunately in this situation, the waste from the old bridge and the old road, instead of putting it where it should go, they buried it, they decided if we dump some sand on it, it’ll go away but with climate change and coastal erosion, that’s not the case.”
Asphalt, rusty metal, and pipes are all remnants of the old Indian River Inlet bridge. “If you know a three-year-old, that’s just play toys for them so we just needed to do something about it,” says Stokowski. That’s why community members like Stokowski, who has her own three-year-old, are working to uncover the poorly placed debris in hopes of saving the beaches and protecting beach-goers.
“We were finally able to work with DNREC and Delaware state parks to meet us halfway to get some machinery involved, designated areas to put the debris and I was able to get a lot of people, surfers from the community to come out and help pick everything up since we know where a lot of it is.” Stokowski is helping to spearhead this initiative and tells 47 ABC, so far, over 17,000 tons of debris has been collected and that was just within two days. It’s debris that could be detrimental to the health of the north and south inlet beaches without these efforts. “Even though it sort of seems a little futile with how much debris is out there and with each storm with each swell with each low tide during the full moon and more debris gets uncovered,” she says.
That mission, however, has been growing with community support behind it every step of the way. “We’ve had volunteers including myself just picking up the old road with the line on it straight out of the shallows people boogie boarding around us, children playing around us and here we are taking this stuff out of the water.” Stokowski adds, “This wouldn’t have gotten done if we did not have all the volunteers and all the community members coming out and caring so much about this place.”
Through these efforts and partnerships with organizations like the Surfrider Foundation and other state agencies, we’re told it’s unlocking the potential and ability of those who want the beach for generations to come together to do their part. “We might not have been the ones who brought that trash in but if we see it, and we don’t do anything about it, then we’re also allowing it to happen.” She adds, “People are there and people care, do things with love and good things will happen.”
With the help of organizations like the Delaware Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, Stokowski says they won’t stop their cleanup efforts until the debris is completely cleared, and that’s just one beach. We’re told more clean-up efforts are being held to continue that mission.
