DOVER – A new “wetlands report card” for the Smyrna River Watershed is now available from DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program – the ninth in a series of watershed-specific wetland health reports produced by the Department. The Smyrna River Watershed extends into both Kent and New Castle counties, where agriculture (46 percent) and wetlands (27 percent) primarily dominate the landscape. The wetlands report card indicates that wetlands in the Smyrna watershed were in better-than-average condition when rated against other previously assessed Delaware watersheds, earning an overall B-minus grade.

Nearly half (47 percent) of the wetlands found in the Smyrna River Watershed were the saltwater tidal variety. Other dominant wetland types include freshwater forested flats, riverine, and depressions. Saltwater tidal and freshwater flat wetlands were in the best health of the four types evaluated. Both received a B- grade, mostly as a result of invasive plant species and development closely surrounding the wetlands. Tidal wetlands in this area were in better health compared to most in Delaware due to a lack of man-made ditches.

Teams of wetland scientists from DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary gained permission to visit a total of 122 randomly-selected sites within the Smyrna River Watershed. Using condition assessment checklists and biological metrics, they found that wetlands in the watershed were in fair condition, and that the most common stressors were invasive plants; the digging, filling, and/or ditching of wetlands; and agriculture or development in the buffer area closely surrounding the wetland.

DNREC’s data were used to create a technical report and a more user-friendly report card that summarized not only the health of the Smyrna River Watershed’s wetlands, but also examined the change in wetland acreage in recent decades, what value wetlands provide, and how recent changes in land use will impact wetlands. Already, 32 percent of this watershed’s original wetlands have been lost, primarily due to conversion to development and agriculture. Meanwhile, in their ongoing preservation work, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment program continues to emphasize how wetlands are beneficial resources for both people and wildlife, and that impacts to their health reduce a wetland’s ability to perform and diminish fully, minimizing its valuable role in controlling flooding and erosion, improving water quality, and providing beautiful habitats for us all.

Based on results included in the report, DNREC made recommendations to scientists, decision makers, and landowners to improve the future health of the Smyrna River Watershed’s wetlands. These included: encouraging planting buffers around streams and wetlands; promoting restoration of degraded wetlands; improving protection of non-tidal freshwater wetlands; using best management practices in agricultural operations, and exploring innovative shoreline protection techniques such as living shorelines.

The wetland reports and the work of the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program are made possible by EPA Region 3 Wetland Program Development funding. To view more details on the Smyrna River Watershed or for more information on assessment methods, please visit de.gov/watershedhealth.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 206

DOVER – Approximately $1 million in conservation funding assistance is now available to help beginning farmers in Kent County address poultry mortality management on their farming operation. The funding – for implementing water quality best management practices including composters and mortality freezers to address routine mortality – comes through a program led by the Kent Conservation District in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the Department of Agriculture (DDA), and the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

Proper poultry mortality management is critical to prevent leaching of nutrients, spreading of disease, and attracting vermin. The beginning farmer poultry mortality management project administrated by the USDA’s NRCS will improve water quality, biosecurity, and also will help Delaware meet the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for nutrients in the county’s waterways.

Financial assistance in Kent County is made available recognizing that beginning farmers face significant startup costs, and that there is a backlog of applicants awaiting approval through financial assistance programs for composters, mortality freezers, poultry manure structures, and heavy-use area protection pads.

To qualify, beginning farmers must meet the eligibility requirements of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Interested beginning farmers are encouraged to visit the Kent Conservation District office at 800 Bay Road, Suite 2, Dover, DE 19901 to sign up for the program. The district accepts applications year round, but the next application deadline is June 15. All applications are batched monthly and expedited through the contract process in order to implement water quality BMPs in a timely manner.

Funding is through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project led by the Kent Conservation District, DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship and Watershed Assessment and Management Section, the DDA’s Nutrient Management Program, and the Delmarva Poultry Industry. In addition, Farm Freezers LLC and Greener Solutions LLC are offering a $100 rebate per freezer unit purchased through the program, along with a collection fee rebate of $100 per flock for one year after installation.

For more information, please contact Timothy Riley, district coordinator, Kent Conservation District at 302-741-2600, ext. 3, or visit www.kentcd.org.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 122

NEW CASTLE COUNTY – DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin encourages volunteers to sign up for the Department-sponsored 27th annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup along the river and several tributaries next Saturday, April 14 from 8-11 a.m. at 14 sites throughout northern New Castle County.

“Clearing debris from the Christina River Watershed not only improves the landscape for residents and visitors to enjoy, it improves the health and quality of the river and its tributaries, the primary sources of public water supply for New Castle County residents and businesses. The work these volunteers do is important, and we thank them for it,” said Secretary Garvin.

The annual cleanup will be held rain or shine. For the second year, the City of Newark site will hold its Spring Community Clean Up in conjunction with the Christina River Cleanup.

Since the cleanup began in 1992, more than 360 tons of tires, appliances, household items, and plastic and styrofoam have been cleared from the Christina River, White Clay Creek, Naamans Creek and other tributaries. More than 13,000 volunteers have filled trash bags along Churchmans Marsh, White Clay Creek State Park, the City of Wilmington and various other locations.

DNREC has been a sponsor and an integral part of the Christina River Watershed Cleanup since its inception. Specifically, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife provides planning support in addition to staff and boats to transport volunteers and to offload trash collected from remote locations. The cleanup of the river within the city of Wilmington benefits DNREC’s ongoing marsh restoration work at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge. Three State parks – Brandywine Creek, Fox Point, and White Clay Creek – and several New Castle County parks, also serve as primary Cleanup locations.

For a complete list of cleanup sites and to register for volunteering, please visit www.ChristinaRiverCleanup.org or call 302-307-2757. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for one of the 14 sites as soon as possible so adequate supplies can be provided to each site captain. For safety and efficiency, volunteers are encouraged to wear long sleeves and pants, boots or water-resistant shoes, hats, heavy-duty gloves, sunscreen, and insect repellant. Waders or hip boots are helpful for the City of Wilmington, Newport Boat Ramp, and Churchman’s Marsh-Christiana sites. Due to insurance requirements, volunteers under the age of 16 must have adult supervision. All participants must wear a life jacket while on board any boat.

As a thank you, volunteers will receive a Christina River Watershed Cleanup reusable tote bag, perfect for shopping trips, featuring a blue variation of Ramiro Lopez-Villalobos’ design for this year’s cleanup logo. The first 500 volunteers will also receive water bottles donated by KCI Technologies. The Delaware Department of Transportation will be providing various giveaways for younger volunteers. Water and a variety of refreshments will be provided at all locations.

More than 50 organizations and businesses sponsor the cleanup each year. In addition to DNREC, primary sponsors include: Christina Conservancy; Artesian Water Company; New Castle County; Partnership for the Delaware Estuary; Dow Chemical Company; ICNA Relief / Islamic Society of Delaware; and SUEZ Water in Delaware. DNREC has welcomed several new sponsors to the Cleanup ranks this year: Delmarva Power; DuPont Company; and IncNow, a Delaware incorporation company. Along with KCI and DelDOT, the Cleanup also is pleased to bring aboard sponsors Bloom Energy; BrightFields, Inc.; and Duffield Associates, Inc.

For more information on DNREC’s programs, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Vol. 48, No. 76

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

BLADES – The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Conservation Programs Section within the Division of Watershed Stewardship will host a rain barrel-building workshop in conjunction with the Reclaim Our River Program from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 14 at Hardin Hall, 20 West 4th Street, Blades, DE 19973. Participation is limited and attendees are asked to preregister at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-rain-barrel-building-workshop-tickets-44369977798.

Workshop participants will receive free rain barrel conversion kits, including a 55-gallon plastic drum to take home as a ready-made rain barrel. The workshop will open with a brief overview about the benefits of rain barrels, do’s and don’ts in using them, and their assembly and maintenance. Workshop participants can choose to construct their own barrel with guidance, or request that a Conservation Programs Section or ROR member help them assemble their rain barrel. While the rain barrels are being put together, participants will also learn about watering native plants with them and about techniques for improving water quality.

This workshop is offered as part of the Reclaim Our River-Nanticoke Series, a program designed to bring more water quality-oriented events, workshops, and recreational opportunities to the Nanticoke Watershed. The ROR program offers information on reducing nutrient and sediment pollution and improving water quality, promotes public access to waterways and provides recreational opportunities as a way to connect residents to their waterways and inspire them to make improvements. For more information on the ROR program, please visit http://delawarewatersheds.org/.

Rain barrels collect and store water from roofs and downspouts for future uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Using a rain barrel can help to lower water bills, particularly in the summer months, by collecting thousands of gallons of usable water a year. Rain barrels also play an important role in reducing water pollution and protecting our water resources by collecting the stormwater runoff from our homes before it reaches our local streams and rivers.

For more information on the workshop, please contact Philip Miller at 302-290-3578 or Philip.miller@delaware.gov.

Vol. 48, No. 65

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DOVER – DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program and the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays will host a two-day workshop, “Introduction to Living Shorelines Training for Engineers, Contractors, and Landscape Professionals,” from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, March 7 and 8, at DNREC’s Lewes Field Facility, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958. Admission to the workshop is free, with lunch provided.

Participants will be introduced to an in-demand and eco-friendly technique in shoreline management: the living shoreline. Topics to be covered include site evaluation, design, permitting, and exemplary projects, supplemented with site visits.

Stable shorelines help protect coastal communities and serve as important habitat for native animals. However, commonly-used hardened methods of shorelines stabilization do not adequately serve both purposes. Living shorelines are an increasingly popular solution.

Engineered using native plant material, shellfish, sand, and some hard structures, these shorelines prevent erosion, reduce wave energy, trap floating sediment, and filter stormwater runoff from lawns and pavement – all while maintaining natural beach or wetland habitats.

Space is limited to 25 workshop participants per day, and participants may attend one or both days. To sign up, visit www.deshorelineworkshop.eventbrite.com. Participants currently working in Delaware will be given preference. For more information, please email communications@inlandbays.org.

Vol. 48, No. 29

CONTACT: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902