Several of the ranges at DNREC’s Ommelanden Hunting Education and Training Center will be temporarily closed while a lead recovery project in trap, skeet and 5-stand fields takes place /DNREC photo

Rifle and Pistol Range to Remain Open During Lead Recovery Operation With Expected Completion Date of Oct. 7

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will temporarily close access to several ranges at the Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center and Range in New Castle County starting Monday, July 14. A DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife lead recovery project will collect lead and clay target debris from Ommelanden’s trap, skeet and 5-stand fields. The rifle and pistol range will remain open during the project, for which work is expected to be completed by Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center is one of two state shooting ranges managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The range offers trap and skeet shooting, rifle and pistol shooting, archery and more.

More information about Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center and Range can be found on the DNREC website.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Bluesky or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Tidewater Park in Laurel was enhanced by a project that was funded by a Surface Water Matching Planning Grant /DNREC photo

Open to Delaware County and Municipal Governments, Conservation Districts,
and Estuary programs; Deadline for Submission of Project Proposals Aug. 20

Delaware county and municipal governments, conservation districts, and estuary programs can now submit proposals to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to receive matching grants for their surface water project planning. Proposals must be received by 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.

Eligible projects include planning, preliminary engineering, and feasibility analysis of surface water projects; stormwater retrofits; green technology practices; stream and wetland restoration projects; small watershed studies; master plans for surface water and drainage projects; and other source water pollution control projects.

Grant applications of up to $50,000 will be considered with a one-to-one cash match requirement. Up to 10% of the grant funds may be used for administrative costs. There is an annual cumulative grant award cap of $100,000 per successful applicant per fiscal year surface water planning grants.

The Surface Water Matching Planning Grant program is a set-aside in the state’s Clean Water Revolving Fund. The grants support projects and activities that focus on reducing surface water runoff and improving water quality in impaired watersheds.

Projects will be recommended for funding by the Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council through a competitive grant process.

Surface Water Matching Planning Grant proposals must be less than 10 MB to be received by email and should be sent to James Sullivan at NPS.Grants@delaware.gov with Surface Water Matching Planning Grant in the subject line of the email.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Environmental Finance team administers Delaware’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, making funding available to municipalities, the private sector, nonprofit organizations and individuals. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Bluesky or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has announced changes to the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation’s 2025 surf fishing reservation system, eliminating the need for reservations to fish at several drive-on, multi-use beaches on weekends and holidays.

Beginning Saturday, July 12, drive-on surf fishing beach reservations will no longer be required for:
• Key Box, Conquest and Faithful Steward beaches at Delaware Seashore State Park
• York, Middle and South beaches at Fenwick Island State Park
• Beach Plum Island north of Lewes

The removal of these locations from the reservation system – chosen because they have generally not filled to capacity on busy summer weekends – comprises nearly 64% of the state’s surf fishing beach availability.

“These are your beaches, Delaware,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “We are eliminating the need for reservations most of the time, preserving them only for fairness during the busiest days and hours. Delaware beaches are the precious jewel of our state’s tourism economy, and requiring beach reservations, where unnecessary, is an example of overregulation that can be streamlined to serve residents better.”

For the rest of the summer, DNREC will evaluate impacts to the beaches while measuring occupancy levels and any queuing or crowding issues as anglers surf fish at them without needing to make reservations, said Matt Ritter, director of the Division of Parks and Recreation.

Due to the high demand and capacity issues, daily reservations will continue to be required for Gordons Pond, Herring Point, Navy Crossing and Point Crossing in Cape Henlopen State Park and 3 R’s at Delaware Seashore State Park from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Anglers with a reservation for a weekend or holiday can still access those drive-on surf fishing locations even when the park’s day use parking capacity has been reached, especially at Cape Henlopen where this is a frequent occurrence.

“Drive-on surf fishing reached record levels in recent years, and our parks have tried different ways to balance what can be overwhelming demand with the recreational experience so many enjoy,” Ritter said. “Reservations have become prevalent at state and national parks across the country, and as we evolve our reservation program in Delaware State Parks, we remain committed to providing a good experience for anglers and all our visitors. After careful consideration, we felt making the change to drop reservation requirements for several surf fishing beaches was the right decision.”

On the remaining beaches where reservations are still required on summer weekends and holidays, State Park staff will monitor surf and weather conditions and adjust the number of reservations available as the weekend approaches if it appears significant numbers of reserved spots may go unused.

“As surf tag holders have gotten used to the reservation system, we know from customer feedback that many people like the predictability of knowing they will have a spot and won’t be turned away or have to wait in a long line for someone to leave,” DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson said. “At the same time, DNREC has certainly heard that some anglers, especially locals, like to wake up on a sunny day and decide to get out on the beach. With this change, we will provide different approaches for different types of visitors.”

Reservations will open as normal weekly for those beaches on Tuesday, July 8 at 11 a.m. for fishing July 12 and on Wednesday, July 9 at 11 a.m. for fishing Sunday, July 13. Reservations are available to valid 1-year and 2-year Surf Fishing Permit holders on a first-come, first-served basis, and are limited to one reservation per day. There are no changes to the off-peak surf fishing permit that allows anglers to access the beach without a reservation Monday through Friday, except for holidays that occur on a weekday.

DNREC Parks and Recreation Director Ritter said the changes are the result of evaluating the program over the past two years including capacity, total reservations, beach conditions and feedback from anglers. Since the reservation system was introduced in 2023 to improve visitor experiences and enhance conservation, none of the beaches where reservations are temporarily being suspended had reached full capacity, with the exception of the 2025 Fourth of July holiday this past weekend. DNREC will consider whether a one-time reinstatement of reservations will be needed for the Fourth in 2026.

Delaware Natural Resources Police Park Rangers Unit will continue to patrol the beaches with vehicle checks to ensure that visitors have valid fishing permits, equipment and reservations if applicable. For more information about surf fishing Delaware’s drive-on beaches visit www.destateparks.com/surf-fishing/.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo and the Indian River Marina.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contact: Beth Kuhles-Heiney, elizabeth.kuhlesheiney@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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Results from July 3 Resampling Show Bacteria Level Well Below Standard, With DNREC’s
Recreational Water Program Removing the Advisory on Independence Day Afternoon

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control this afternoon lifted a swim advisory for Rehoboth Avenue Beach after DNREC’s Recreational Water Program conducted a resampling of the beach for enterococcus fecal indicator bacteria on Thursday, July 3 and results found levels of enterococcus fecal indicator bacteria for Rehoboth Avenue beach to be below the standard for recreational activities.

Following 24-hour laboratory testing, the DNREC Recreational Water Program received data from yesterday’s resampling showing that the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship’s monitoring station of Rehoboth Beach at Rehoboth Avenue was below the standard for recreational contact (the single sample was 81 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (81 cfu/100mL), against a standard of 104 cfu/100mL, with the 30-day geomean (average) at 30, against a standard of 35.

The results led to DNREC lifting the swim advisory that had been in effect since Thursday afternoon at about 4 p.m. EDT, Friday, July 4.

For more information visit the DNREC website at recwaters.dnrec.delaware.gov or see Rehoboth Avenue beach’s current status at recwaters.dnrec.delaware.gov/RecWaterSitePublic.aspx?UnitID=304

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Bluesky or LinkedIn.

Media contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Details Changes Made to Regs,
Including New Requirements for Hunters Under 21 Years of Age

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that the 2025/26 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide will be available starting this week from recreational license agents throughout the state, at the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife licensing office in the Richardson & Robbins Building located at 89 Kings Highway in Dover, DE 19901, and online via the DNREC website. The hunting and trapping guide is free and often is picked up by hunters when they buy Delaware hunting licenses for the 2025/26 seasons that also go on sale July 1.

The guide lists season dates for the 2025/26 hunting and trapping seasons, as well as a summary of Delaware laws and regulations for legal harvest of game animals and gamebirds. Several changes related to hunting and trapping have been made in advance of the upcoming season. Significant changes include new requirements for hunters under 21 years of age and allowable hunting methods for resident Canada Geese. Both changes are explained in the guide.

Hunters and trappers can also find information in the guide on licensing/permit requirements, including the hunting and trapping license fee structure, and information about the annual Conservation Access Pass to be used other outdoor recreation on state wildlife areas. Public land hunting opportunities, hunting and trapping classes offered by the DNREC Hunter Education Program, and other helpful hunting, trapping, and wildlife information are also included in the guide.

Hunting licenses and Delaware waterfowl stamps can be purchased online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and from license agents statewide. Participating agents can found at de.gov/LicenseAgents. Hunting licenses can also be purchased online from Digital DNREC. For more information about Delaware hunting licenses, call the DNREC Recreational Licensing Office at 302-739-9918.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Bluesky or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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