Grant Awards to Range from $25,000-$75,000; Deadline for Submissions in Competitive Process is Oct. 30

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control encourages nonprofit groups, conservation districts, community organizations and homeowners’ associations to submit project proposals to be considered for matching grant funds from DNREC’s Community Water Quality Improvement Grants program.

Funding for grant award projects in this cycle is expected to range from $25,000 to $75,000. Projects recommended by DNREC staff for funding through a competitive grant process will be presented to the Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council. Applicants may submit up to two project proposals per grant cycle. Project guidelines and the grant application can be found at de.gov/envfinance.

Community Water Quality Improvement Grants assist in implementing projects or programs that improve water quality on developed lands with specific watershed improvement plans and strategies. Programs and projects selected for these grants must demonstrate innovative and sustainable methods, techniques, and/or practices for water quality improvements, with cost-effective and measurable results.

Eligible projects may include:

• Enhancement or restoration of water quality within an impaired watershed
• Community stormwater management improvements in existing developments in partnership with municipalities
• Non‐regulatory or voluntary plans involving pollution control strategies, watershed-based restoration plans, whole basin management preliminary assessments, or community‐based stormwater permits.

Past projects that received Community Water Quality Improvement Grant funding have included: a green roof installation; living shoreline installation and marsh enhancement to stop erosion; a stormwater retrofit project featuring a wetland and bioswale to manage stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces; stream bank restoration to reduce erosion and sedimentation; and green stormwater improvements.

Grant proposals should be submitted by email to NPS.grants@delaware.gov, with “Community Water Quality Improvement Grants” in the subject line. Emailed proposals must be less than 10MB. All grant proposals must be received by DNREC close of business (4:30 p.m.) Wednesday, Oct. 30.

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 Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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A living shoreline being installed at the Indian River Marina. The green infrastructure projects use natural materials, such a coconut fiber coir logs as shown above as a barrier against erosion and flooding. /DNREC photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will present a free lecture Thursday, June 13 to introduce property owners to living shorelines in Delaware, a type of green infrastructure using natural materials. The hour-long lecture hosted by the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach begins at 2 p.m. and registration can be made up to the day before the event. The lecture is presented by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship in conjunction with the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee and the South Coastal Library.

The lecture speaker is Olivia Allread, outreach and communications coordinator with DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program, who will provide an overview of living shorelines and how they can be used to protect and improve a property. The lecture will highlight the specific types of living shorelines that can be installed and what natural materials can be used for them. Additionally, the presentation will cover the benefits of this type of shoreline stabilization, as well as resources and user-friendly tools available for landowners.

Living shorelines utilize natural materials like native plants, oyster shells, and biodegradable coconut-fiber coir logs as a barrier against shoreline erosion and flood impacts. Living shorelines also enhance the natural beauty of shoreline ecosystems. The lecture will offer insights into the how to enhance the natural beauty of a property and showcase project examples in Delaware.

This lecture is part of educational efforts offered by the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee, a work group dedicated to facilitating the understanding, peer review and implementation of living shoreline strategy within the First State. The DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program represents the Department in supporting the committee and its work. More information can be found at delawarelivingshorelines.org.

This lecture is free and open to the public, with its content geared toward land and property owners. The South Coastal Library is at 43 Kent Avenue, Bethany Beach, Del.

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 Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov  

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control encourages Delaware non-profit organizations, conservation districts, community organizations and homeowners’ associations to submit project proposals to be considered for matching grant funds from DNREC’s Community Water Quality Improvement Grants program.

Funding for grant award projects in this cycle is expected to range from $25,000 to $75,000. Projects recommended by DNREC staff for funding through a competitive grant process will be presented to the Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council. Applicants may submit up to two project proposals per grant cycle. Project guidelines and the grant application can be found at de.gov/envfinance.

Community Water Quality Improvement Grants assist in implementing projects or programs that improve water quality on developed lands with specific watershed improvement plans and strategies. Programs and projects selected for these grants must demonstrate innovative and sustainable methods, techniques, and/or practices for water quality improvements, with cost-effective and measurable results.

Eligible projects may include:

• Enhancement or restoration of water quality within an impaired watershed
• Community stormwater management improvements in existing developments in partnership with municipalities
• Non‐regulatory or voluntary plans involving pollution control strategies, watershed-based restoration plans, whole basin management preliminary assessments, or community‐based stormwater permits.

Past projects that received Community Water Quality Improvement Grant funding have included: a green roof installation; living shoreline installation and marsh enhancement to stop erosion; a stormwater retrofit project featuring a wetland and bioswale to manage stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces; stream bank restoration to reduce erosion and sedimentation; and green stormwater improvements on Conwell Street in Seaford.

Grant proposals should be submitted by email to NPS.grants@delaware.gov with “Community Water Quality Improvement Grants” in the subject line. Emailed proposals must be less than 10MB. All grant proposals must be received by DNREC close of business (4:30 p.m.) Tuesday, Nov. 7.

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 Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

 The widespread beach erosion and storm damage along Delaware’s Atlantic Coast as seen at Rehoboth Beach. /DNREC photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that multiple Delaware State Parks drive- and walk-on crossings will be closed this Memorial Day Weekend due widespread erosion along Delaware’s coastline sustained during a May 8 nor’easter.

Unsafe drop-offs along the dunes where the crossings meet the beach necessitated the closures. Additionally, very little beach is available for drive-on surf fishing even during low tide at the closed locations.

As of Thursday, May 26, the following beach access points remain open:

• The Point, Herring Point and Gordons Pond crossings at Cape Henlopen State Park. The northernmost pedestrian crossing at The Point parking lot is closed.
• 3Rs crossing at Delaware Seashore State Park.
• North (York), Middle and South crossing at Fenwick Island State Park.

The following beach access points are closed:

• Navy crossing at Cape Henlopen State Park.
• Keybox, Conquest and Faithful Steward crossings at Delaware Seashore State Park. The Conquest pedestrian crossings are also closed.

DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section beach crew is working to reopen drive-on and pedestrian crossings along the coastline, including at other damaged beaches.

Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore state parks Facebook pages will be updated regularly with what crossings are open or closed.

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. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov or Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov.

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DOVER – DNREC’s Shoreline & Waterway Management Section and the City of Lewes will begin erecting fencing along the bay side of the primary dune at Lewes Beach during the first week of November. The fencing is designed to help protect the dune’s fragile habitat, and act as a deterrent to area residents leaving personal effects and items on the dune that can damage it. The dune-fencing project is expected to take two weeks for completion, depending on weather conditions.

In August, the Shoreline & Waterway Management Section within DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship distributed flyers by mail to area residents asking them to remove any items, such as bikes, boats, kayaks and other water sports equipment from the dune before the fencing project began. Any such personal property remaining on the dune at the start of the project will be removed by DNREC staff.

Earlier this summer, DNREC also placed signage at Lewes Beach reminding beachgoers to stay out of the dune. Lewes Beach residents and visitors were advised to use only existing pathways through the dune when crossing it.

The Shoreline & Waterway Management Section notes that for a dune to best provide protection for coastal communities, a continuous dune line must be maintained. Structures and recreational equipment illegally placed in the dune area, along with heavy use of dunes by pedestrians for access to the beach, can destroy vegetation, and lower the elevation of the dune, thereby reducing the dune’s protection capabilities.

Illegally-stored items also smother and kill the beach grass that supports and helps sustain the dune. Without beach grass, windblown sand is not trapped in the dune, creating weak spots that can be breached by flood waters during coastal storms.

For more information on dune protection, please contact DNREC’s Shoreline & Waterway Management Section at 302-739-9921 or the City of Lewes at 302-645-7777.