Monitoring Shorelines

Monitoring beach change over time is a key component of shoreline management. The Shoreline and Waterway Management Section surveys over 80 profiles along Delaware’s bay and ocean coast beaches twice each year to measure seasonal and annual beach change conditions.

A lone person walks along the waterline on a sandy beach.

Survey data from points along the Bay and ocean coasts from Pickering Beach, in Kent County, to Fenwick Island, in Sussex County, are used to plan and prioritize beach repair projects and to understand long-term erosion and accretion trends.

Annual reports are published to summarize the results of the most recent beach surveys and provide insight on what causes the observed profile changes. Survey data are available upon request.

You Can Help

Visitors to two of Delaware’s most popular beaches can help collect valuable data needed to monitor Delaware’s changing coastline. And all they need is their smartphone to take part in the CoastSnap DE project.

CoastSnap DE is part of a global community science project that places simple camera mounts at beaches. Visitors are invited to take photos using the mounts and upload them to a central location.