Pages Tagged With: "conservation"
Salt in Our Water — Saltwater Intrusion and Inundation in Delaware
“Ghost forests.” Salty-tasting well water. Saltwater intrusion is a growing issue in Delaware due to sea level rise and climate change. Here’s what DNREC is doing about it.The Nitty-Gritty of the Estuary
As we mark National Estuaries Week on September 18, learn more about estuaries of Delaware – unique ecosystems that many people, plants and animals call home.Our Not So Secretive Marsh Birds
DNREC scientists are unlocking some of the mysteries of Delaware’s secretive marsh birds. Clapper rails, saltmarsh sparrows and other species are facing many challenges. How are they faring?Success Stories: Tappahanna Ditch
Runoff from agricultural areas caused high bacteria levels in Delaware’s Tappahanna Ditch of the Choptank River. As a result, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) added the watershed to the 1996 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for bacteria and nutrients. Watershed stakeholders provided technical assistance andSuccess Stories: Iron Branch
Runoff from agricultural areas caused high bacteria levels in Delaware’s Iron Branch of Indian River Bay. As a result, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) added the watershed to the 1996 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for bacteria. Watershed stakeholders provided technical assistance and installed agriculturalSnakes to Watch Out For
There are 19 species of snakes slithering around Delaware. Which ones should you watch out for and what are the best ways to avoid them?How to Prevent Backyard Mosquitos
zzzzz … slap. Sound familiar? The whine of buzzing mosquitoes followed by swats is a tell-tale sign of summer in Delaware. There’s plenty you can do in your backyard to reduce populations of these pests. Our Mosquito Control Section has tips to share, along with the mosquitos to watch out for.On the Move – Delmarva Fox Squirrels in Delaware
Delmarva fox squirrels are rare in Delaware. Just because you haven’t seen one of these large, silver-gray, fluffy-tailed squirrels doesn’t mean you won’t – especially if you live in Sussex County. Our Division of Fish and Wildlife just moved 15 more into the area, as part of an ongoing translocation program.Meet the Lemurs (and More!) at The Brandywine Zoo
They have long striped tails, intense eyes and they’re full of antics. Meet the lemurs – and the other animals – at the Brandywine Zoo’s new Madagascar Exhibit.Mother’s Day in Delaware Wetlands
It’s Mother’s Day and American Wetlands Month. We thought we’d combine the two to bring you one article about some of the moms who raise their young in Delaware’s marsh areas – osprey, spring peepers and muskrats.Breathing Easier – Delaware’s Air Quality Monitoring Network
The first week of May marks the beginning of Air Quality Awareness Week. DNREC ‘s Air Quality Monitoring Stations, located throughout the state, are helping us breathe easier.Our Planet, Our Responsibility
Most of us do the best we can to reduce our carbon footprint by recycling more, taking more public transportation, or using less electricity to heat and cool our homes. But what else can we do? Outdoor Delaware asked our experts for a list of the best ways we can help our planet.Drainage Concern Reporting Form
You can get advice or technical assistance with drainage issues on your property. The first step is reporting the issue, using the form below. What is your name? How can we contact you?Spring – It’s Bird TV
Now is a great time to grab your binoculars to witness the spectacle of the return of our migrant bird species throughout the state. Outdoor Delaware sat down with our staff birders to talk about spring birding and what makes it so special.Shopping in Delaware? Here are Four Alternatives for Plastic Carryout Bags
Delaware’s recent plastic bag ban may have you looking for other ways to take your groceries home. Here are four alternatives to single-use carryout plastic bags that are better for you and the environment.The Transformers
You may not have heard about them, but there are brownfields all over Delaware. They’re neither pretty nor healthy. That is, until we step in to clean them up and make way for redevelopment.Snow Goose Conservation Order
The Snow Goose Conservation Order is a separate season only for snow geese that occurs when Delaware’s regular waterfowl hunting seasons are closed. Liberal harvest methods are allowed during the Conservation Order to help reduce the large snow goose population that is damaging its Arctic nesting grounds, as well as wetlands and agricultural lands onWild Turkey Surveys
Since 2010, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has used an annual, volunteer-based survey to record observations of wild turkeys across the state during the months of July and August.Contact Us
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
DNREC is part of a state and federal partnership with the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, that aims to add up to 10,000 acres of Delaware agricultural land to the USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Landowners in the CREP receive funding to support land conservation practices.More Than a Drink of WATAR
Safer water for us, less flooding and shad returning to their spawning grounds in the Brandywine River. Our WATAR team is making it happen.Answering the Call 24/7 – Our Emergency Response Team
Our Emergency Response Team is the state’s designated first responder for environmental emergencies. The team is on call 24/7 to respond to emergencies from oil spills to clandestine drug labs, chemical leaks, radiological incidents and many more that may occur.Plastic Carryout Bags in Delaware – Their End is Here
As of January 1, we no longer use plastic carryout bags from many places like convenience, grocery or other retail stores. Most retailers don’t distribute point-of-sale plastic carryout bags anymore. You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers.Tax Ditch Program
DNREC provides administrative and technical assistance and support to tax ditch organizations and landowners across the State.Contact Us
Drainage Program 302-855-1930
Tax Ditch Questions and Answers
The DNREC Tax Ditch Program has collected questions often asked by landowners about tax ditches. If you have additional questions, please contact the Tax Ditch Program at 302-855-1930 or by email. Tax ditch channels range in size from six to 80Drainage and Stormwater Assistance
Each year thousands of Delawareans express concerns about drainage and stormwater. In many cases, residents don’t know who to contact if they have a problem. Several state and local agencies, including DNREC, DelDOT, conservation districts and municipal public works programs can help resolve drainage and flooding related problems.Drainage Programs
The Drainage Programs work with landowners, tax ditch organizations and federal, state and local agencies to improve drainage, stormwater management and water quality in Delaware.Contact Us
Wetland And Channel Restoration
The Drainage Program is responsible for over 45 wetland and stream restoration projects, resulting in approximately 180 acres of total restoration and habitat creation. Restoration activities are put into practice in a variety of locations, including local schools (creating an outdoor classroom), backyards of private landowners (Smith and Battista), marginal agricultural fields, and alongSuccess Stories: Pike Creek
Pike Creek is in northern New Castle County and is a tributary of White Clay Creek within the White Clay Creek subbasin. The lower portions of the White Clay Creek are tidally influenced. In 2000, the President signed a law adding 190 miles of the White Clay Creek and its tributaries to the National WildBiennial NPS Training and Meeting
The DNREC Nonpoint Source Program (NPS), in partnership with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3, hosted the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Nonpoint Source Program Training and Meeting in October of 2019. The states in the EPA Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) take turns hosting this biennial event. The next meeting, in 2021,Success Stories: Trap Pond
Southern Delaware’s Trap Pond is a tributary of Broad Creek, which drains to the Nanticoke River and flows to the Chesapeake Bay. This area has a unique ecology, as it is home to the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress in the United States. The area also contains a 2,000-acre wetland, one of the largestSuccess Stories: Gravelly Branch
Southern Delaware’s Gravelly Branch watershed drains into the Nanticoke River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Gravelly Branch begins in the town of Ellendale and flows toward the city of Seaford. The major land use in the 24,423-acre Gravelly Branch watershed is agriculture. SuccessSuccess Stories: Upper Marshyhope Creek
The Delaware portion of the Marshyhope Creek watershed (Upper Marshyhope Creek) lies within Kent and Sussex counties on the western edge of Delaware. The creek flows into Maryland before eventually discharging into the Nanticoke River, which in turn empties into the Chesapeake Bay. The drainage area of the Marshyhope Creek watershed within Delaware is approximatelySuccess Stories: Cow Bridge Branch
Stockley Branch flows into Cow Bridge Branch watershed, which spans 28,676 acres and is located in the Indian River watershed in southeastern Sussex County. The Indian River Bay watershed makes up one of three of Delaware’s interconnected Inland Bays (Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and Little Assawoman Bay). [button type=”primary”Success Stories: Little Assawoman Bay
Little Assawoman Bay — the smallest of Delaware’s Inland Bays — is connected to Indian River Bay on the north by the Assawoman Canal and to Assawoman Bay on the south via a narrow channel. The Little Assawoman Bay watershed is an agriculture-dominated watershed covering three square miles with no influencing point sources. The areaSuccess Stories: Noxontown Pond
Noxontown Pond covers approximately 158 acres near the headwaters of the Appoquinimink River watershed. This watershed contains three of the fastest developing municipalities in the state – Odessa, Townsend, and Middletown. While much of this watershed was historically agricultural, increased development has led to the conversion of farms into suburban residential communities. Less than 9%Success Stories: Records Pond
Records Pond, also known as Laurel Lake, was created in 1900 with the completion of the Records Pond Dam on Broad Creek. Although Records Pond is just over 90 acres, it is one of the larger lakes in Delaware. Almost at sea level, and with a maximum depth of 10 feet, the pond is relativelySuccess Stories: Coursey Pond
Coursey Pond, in southeast Kent County, is a 58-acre pond draining to the Murderkill River, a tributary to the Delaware Bay. The headwaters of the Murderkill River begin just west of Felton and flow towards Bowers Beach, with the lower 10.5-mile portion of the river influenced by tides. The Coursey Pond area is home toSuccess Stories: Abbott’s Mill Pond
Abbott’s Mill Pond was created over 200 years ago by damming Johnson Branch in order to power a grist mill. The pond covers approximately 25 acres on Johnson Branch, a tributary near the headwaters of the Mispillion River watershed. The pond is now maintained as part of the Abbott’s Mill Nature Center used for publicChesapeake Bay Implementation Grant Program
Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grants (CBIG) enable states the lie in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to meet the goals outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, such as improving water quality.Contact Us
Section 319 Grants
The Delaware Nonpoint Source Program administers a competitive grant program made possible through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The grant provides funding for projects designed to reduce nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in Delaware.Contact Us
Local Implementation Funding Grant
The Local Implementation Funding Grant is an annually-determined portion of funding set aside in Delaware’s Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant. Local implementation funding is intended for use by local entities within Delaware’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for best management practices (BMPs) implementation projects that will improve water quality by reduction of nutrient and sedimentNonpoint Source Program
The Nonpoint Source Program provides funding for projects designed to reduce nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in Delaware. Nonpoint source pollution is pollution that originates from a diffuse source (such as an open field or a road) and is transported to surface or ground waters through leaching or runoff.Nonpoint Source Success Stories
The DNREC Nonpoint Source Program is committed to addressing pollution affecting Delaware waterbodies by encouraging and supporting the use of specific best management practices that can reduce the effects of nonpoint source pollution. Success StoriesSportsmen Against Hunger – The Season for Giving
Few things are better for avid hunters than a successful day in the field. Add the satisfaction of providing for families, creating opportunities for others, and supporting local charities, and you have an even better recipe. Our Sportsmen Against Hunger program represents what the holiday season is all about.Delaware’s Formula for Increasing Recycling – Do the Right Thing the Right Way
We celebrated America Recycles Day in November. The goal is to increase recycling efforts nationwide and in Delaware. And there are plenty of opportunities for us to make a difference, right now, through proper recycling. Our Secretary, Shawn Garvin, shares tips on how we can all recycle the right way.Microplastics: A Not So Tiny Tale
What happens to plastic after it fulfills its original purpose? Recycling gives many plastic items a second use but vast amounts are discarded and make their way into the environment. Some of this becomes microplastics. DNREC scientists are working on ways to clean them up.Conservation Districts
Delaware’s three conservation districts are involved in numerous programs and activities that help landowners become better stewards of their land, most notably the state cost-share program.The Conservation Districts
Debris Pit Reporting Form
You can get advice, guidance and in some cases financial assistance to deal with sinkholes caused by old debris pits on your property. The first step is reporting the issue, using the form below. Your Contact Information Your Name Phone NumberDebris Pits
The State of Delaware and New Castle County have dedicated funding to remediate old debris pits. If you believe you have a debris pit, both can assist you in determining the best course of action.Contact Us
Conservation Programs
The DNREC Conservation Programs Section serves as a liaison between DNREC and the state’s three Conservation Districts and it administers a number of programs related to water quality protection, drainage, and sedimentation and stormwater. Nonpoint Source Program Drainage ProgramPage: 12 of 2 total pages
