Newly constructed channel with ditch plug. Photo by Sherry Krest, , USFWS

Natural Resource Damage and Assessment Project to Restore Delaware Salt Marsh

Construction on a 24-acre salt marsh enhancement project at the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays’ (CIB) James Farm Ecological Preserve is underway. The James Farm marsh enhancement project is the final step in the natural resource damage assessment process to restore and compensate for the public for environmental impacts resulting from a fuel oil release at the Indian River Power Plant, into the Indian River Estuary that occurred in early 2000. At that time, the plant was owned at the time by Delmarva Power and Light Company (DP&L)

Located in Ocean View, DE, the salt marsh enhancement project will return the natural flow of water into the marsh by filling in mosquito control ditches and create more natural meandering tidal creeks, mudflats and pools. 

Excavating new pools. Sherry Krest, USFWS

The project will benefit the wide variety of birds, fish and other wildlife species that inhabit Delaware’s Inland Bays. The pools and channels will provide habitat for fish and crabs, and feeding areas for wading birds.

In addition to the physical improvements, the project also includes an educational component for the public, describing the restoration and how this project benefits the environment and natural resources. The community will see re-growth in the marsh as early as this spring and summer. Information and updates will be posted on the kiosk at the James Farm Ecological Preserve and on the CIB Web site at www.inlandbays.org

Natural Resource Trustees- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - worked cooperatively with DP&L and their contractors to assess the damages and develop a restoration plan.

The project was recently featured in the Outdoor News daily at:  http://outdoornewsdaily.com/index.php/archives/6313

For more information about the James Farm marsh project contact:
Sherry Krest
Chesapeake Bay Field Office
410/573-4525
sherry_krest@fws.gov