U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards $25.7M contract for Ocean City beach renourishment following powerful nor’easter
Ocean City, Md. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, has awarded a $25.7 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Houston, Texas, for renourishment of the beach in Ocean City following a powerful nor’easter that brought flooding and beach erosion to the coastal community, washing away portions of the beach and dunes.
The renourishment will involve the placement of roughly 982,000 cubic yards of sand to restore the engineered beach berm to its full design elevation. Work on the beach is projected to begin between late 2026 and early 2027. Crews will be using sand from Weaver Shoal, located more than 7 miles offshore of Ocean City on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), under an agreement signed by USACE, the state of Maryland, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
“We are aware of the significant erosion in Ocean City following this weekend’s storm and are working with our local and state partners to ensure continued risk reduction throughout the region,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis B. Pera. “Every year, we welcome more than 8 million visitors to these shores. What many people enjoying these beaches don't realize is that this iconic stretch of sand is also a critical line of defense—a massive engineering shield protecting our vital infrastructure.”
The beach berm, which is the wide, flat beach in front of the boardwalk and dunes, is an engineered beach that is an element of the Atlantic Coast of Maryland Shoreline Protection Coastal Storm Risk Management project at Ocean City. The project relies on three key elements: a wide, elevated beach; an engineered, protective seawall along the boardwalk; and a vegetated dune system. Together, they absorb wave energy, combat erosion, and shield the town from severe storm surges and flooding.
“The Ocean City beach is designed to be in a dynamic equilibrium with the wave and tidal forces. During a nor'easter, powerful waves pull sand from the beach and move it just offshore, but this sand is not lost from the system,” said USACE Project Manager Todd M. Beser. “As calmer weather returns, moderate periodic waves and tidal currents naturally carry the sand from these offshore sandbars back onto the beach, gradually rebuilding it. Renourishment efforts will supplement this natural process.”
Ocean City’s beaches are generally renourished every four years. While this routine cycle was scheduled prior to the storm, the timing allows USACE to directly address the recent erosion during the upcoming work. The beach has been renourished seven times since initial construction was completed in 1994 using sand resources from state waters. The most recent beach renourishment contract was completed in 2021.
USACE estimates this project has prevented more than $927 million in storm damage since construction started in 1990. The project is a cost-shared effort between the Department of the Army, the state of Maryland, Worcester County and the town of Ocean City.
In addition to the renourishment contract, Baltimore District teams will conduct on-the-ground inspections of Ocean City’s coastal infrastructure later this week. Working in close coordination with local and state officials, these rapid assessments are aligned with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works’ Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork initiative, ensuring that storm impacts are evaluated quickly to restore critical coastal risk-reduction capabilities without administrative delay.
Beach renourishment is expected to finish prior to Memorial Day 2027 to minimize impacts to beachgoers and local businesses.
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Additional Information Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Headquartered near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Baltimore District provides design, engineering, construction, environmental, and real estate expertise to various important projects and customers. This support spans five states, the District of Columbia, overseas, and the Susquehanna, Potomac, and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.
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