Construction on Thompson Island Living Shoreline Project Underway
Wave Attenuation Devices in storage for Thompson Island Project / Photo: Centers for Inland Bays – Ellen Rice
DNREC and the Center for Inland Bays have begun construction on the Thompson Island Living Shoreline Project. This project includes about 400 wave attenuation devices designed to protect the island’s shoreline and enhance the surrounding aquatic environment. These will be placed from a barge and anchored in the shallow waters just offshore in an effort to ease wave energy and reduce shoreline erosion. Thompson Island holds deep cultural significance to the Nanticoke Indian Tribe and is considered sacred ground – historically as a ceremonial and gathering place. The Island is a part of Delaware Seashore State Park and was dedicated as a nature preserve in 2000.
Additional information from the Center for Inland Bays:Â
A part of Delaware Seashore State Park, Thompson Island was dedicated as a nature preserve in 2000, including a formal ceremony that acknowledged an agreement between the Tribe and the State of Delaware as a commitment to ensure that the site, while owned and managed by the state, would remain accessible and protected for the Nanticoke people. The Center for the Inland Bays is honored to carry out this work with respect for the land’s heritage and with a shared commitment to protecting its ecological and cultural value for future generations.
These wave attenuation devices will be placed from a barge and anchored in the shallow waters just offshore. Their purpose is to dampen wave energy, greatly reduce shoreline erosion, and create calmer nearshore conditions that benefit fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. By softening the impact of wind and boat-generated waves, the devices help maintain the shoreline’s shape, reduce sediment resuspension, and improve water clarity, which in turn supports submerged aquatic vegetation and spawning habitat.
About the Project:  The Thompson Island Living Shoreline Project is part of a larger effort to protect Delaware’s Inland Bays through the use of nature-based solutions. Unlike hardened structures like bulkheads or riprap, wave attenuation devices offer both coastal protection and ecological value. Their open design allows for the free movement of water and marine life while diminishing wave energy and stabilizing the shoreline.
This project reflects a shared commitment by the Center for the Inland Bays, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation, Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) estuaries.org, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Sovereign Consulting Inc. to advance coastal resilience, protect public lands, and enhance aquatic habitats in the face of increasing environmental stressors.