/[Michael Bickler, editor ; Judith Ventura, writer editor ; Lois Butler, graphic art and design] Bickler, Michael. Delaware.Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. [Dover, Del.:Dept of Natural Resources and Environmental Control,n.d.] Wetlands Delaware. Wildlife refuges Delaware. DELAWARE WETALANDS QH 5415 D3 D45 STATE OF DELAWARE PIERRE S. du PONT IV Governor .@@tj%jffl OF NA JOHN E. WILSON, III Secretary THOMAS P. EICHLER Director, Environmental Control LAURENCE R. IRELAN, Director This publication is financed in part Division of Soil & Water Conservation through a federal grant from the Office of WILLIAM C. WAGNER, IT, Director MICHAEL BICKLER Coastal Zone Management, NOAA under Division of Fish & Wildlife the provision of Section 306 of the Coastal VIRGINIA BAKER Editor Zone Management Act of 1972 (Public Law Acting Director, Parks & Recreation JUDITH VENTURA 92-583). The Department of Natural Resources and MICHAEL J. BICKLER Writer Editor Environmental Control is an equal Chief, Information & Education opportunity employer. LOIS BUTLER Permission is granted to reprint written GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON Graphic Art & Design material contained in this publication if NATURAL RESOURCES AND proper credit is given. Clearance must be ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL obtained from artists and photographers to reproduce illustrations. Address all correspondence to: Michael J. Bickler, Grover A. Biddle Manuel Zinman Editor. Samuel E. Timmons William L. Kapa Willis Hand Cashar W. Evans DOCUMENT NO. 40-01/81/07/12 WHAT IS A WETLAND ? Every year sportsmen flock to Put more simply, a wetland is Delaware, eager to reap a harvest any area of land where the of the abundant wildlife. A wide presence of water determines the variety of waterfowl, fish and nature of the site and its other game are available for the vegetation. Even if the area is wet taking. The natural environment for only a brief interval each year, for a great number of these species it may still be considered a wetland. is the wetlands of Delaware. Meeting the essential feeding, nesting and breeding needs of ,Y) the animals, the wetlands are an important ecological asset. z What exactly is a wetland? According to Title 7, Chapter 66 -7= of the Delaware Code, wetlands are defined as "those lands above the mean low water elevatio n including any bank, marsh, swamp, meadow, flat or other low land subject to tidal action ... which may grow or is capable of growing a wide variety of wetland plants." WHAT GOOD ARE WETLANDS? Over the years, wetlands have Acting as a natural purifier, a Recreational opportunities been regarded as wasted land. The wetland can improve water quality. abound in the open spaces of the belief that wetlands are not of When water flows through, the wetlands. The public can enjoy a direct benefit to man unless vegetation filters out the variety of activities, including "reclaimed" by man was generally phosphates and other plant fishing, hunting, canoeing, bird accepted. In Delaware, over the nutrients from the soil. watching and hiking. Wetlands are past 30 years, at least 7,550 acres Unfortunately, each wetland has a valuable natural space, especially of coastal wetlands have been lost capacity of pollutants it can in over-developed urban areas. to residential and commercial absorb. Once this capacity is Wetlands also act as sediment development. Through research, reached, a wetland can be severely traps, capturing and holding soil new evidence points to the damaged. Recovery, if possible, is deposited by slowly moving water. usefulness of wetlands in their never to its original natural state. By reducing the velocity and natural state. Mammals, song birds, absorbing wave energy, wetlands Wetlands act as natural sponges, waterfowl, fish, crabs and other also protect shorelines from soaking up excess water that assorted wildlife make their homes erosion. This helps to stabilize the cannot be absorbed by the earth's in the wetlands. Many species of coastline and keeps harbors, surface, and then slowly releasing commercial and sporting fish use channels and rivers free from it during drier seasons. When a wetlands as a spawning and sediment. river or lake overflows, the flood nursery area before moving on to water can spread out over the the streams, lakes and oceans. wetlands, slowing down the Without wetlands, much of our destructive force of the water. wildlife would be endangered and Thus they aid in both flood and eventually disappear. drought control. TYPES OF WETLANDS Generally, there are two salty, depending on the location Inland wetlands depend on classes of wetlands: tidal and non- within the estuary. Tidal wetlands - less certain natural precipitation. tidal. All non-tidal wetlands in are always moist, being flooded During the spring, their level Delaware contain freshwater. Tidal either daily or at irregular depends on rain and flooding while wetlands can range from fresh to intervals. evaporation and drought during the summer may gradually dry a ..... wetland completely. The principal type of wetland in Delaware is the tidal marsh. Approximately 8 percent of Delaware or 106,000 acres is wetlands with about 88 percent of these wetlands consisting of tidal marshes. They occur along the Delaware coastline and adjacent to tidal Tivers and creeks. Inland marshes may occur in upland depressions or adjacent to lakes, rivers and streams. They are subject to intermittent flooding, especially if positioned near a river, lake or tidal waters, which drastically alternates water level. CLASSIFICATION ZONES Tall and Low Salt Marsh A wetland can also be classified Cordgrass according to the types of vegetation growing on it. In Delaware, tidal marshes can be Spike Grass divided into six major Salt Hay classification zones, each with its own set of characteristics. The zones differ in elevation, geographic location and frequency of tidal flooding, all of which determine the salinity of that portion of the marsh. spring tide mean high tide low tide ZONE I I ZONE 11 Low Marsh High Marsh Cattail Phragmites Pickerel Weed Marsh Elder Groundsel Bush rj 10 Arrow Arum Wild Rice ZONE III ZONE IV ZONE V I ZONEVI i ZONEVII Transition Found in upper Nearly fresh water Zone reaches of tidal marsh and Ialong creeks with low salinity Beginning at the water's edge is The saltmeadow or high Zone 1, or the low marsh, marsh, Zone 11, has two primary consisting mainly of saltmarsh plant species: salt hay and spike cordgrass, a solid, upright grass grass. Growing in thick, yellowish- with long, smooth, sturdy leaf green mats, salt hay often blades. It grows tall near the resembles a meadow full of water's edge and close to the water "cowlicks". Darker green spike level near the middle of the marsh. grass grows in dense, erect clumps Black Duck The marsh is flooded twice daily at alongside the salt hay. When the each high tide. grasses die, the decaying stalks Canada geese, black ducks and accumulate and completely cover other waterfowl eat the abundant the marsh surface. Zone 11 is roots and seeds. Plant stems are generally flooded only by monthly used to build muskrat lodges. The high tides and storm tides. cordgrass also provides protective Ducks, rails, geese and muskrats covering and nesting materials for eat the spike grass seed and root the numerous fowl and small stocks. The dense grass growth w ildlife. provides cover for waterfowl, especially teal. Aside from the waterfowl and small game, deer also browse this wetland area Mallard for food. The chief vegetation for the salt bush-saltmeadow marsh, Zone 111, are the high tide and groundsel bushes. The marsh, similar to Zone 11, is densely covered with salt hay and spike grass but dotted r FIfIf with numerous salt bushes. Since @Duck@ this marsh occurs next to the uplands, it is usually flooded only by storm tides. Canada Goose The wildlife attracted to Zone variety of salt tolerant and even on the arum seeds. Muskrats III is much the same as Zone 11 freshwater plant species exist, also eat the seeds and use the due to the likeness in vegetation. making it difficult to distinguish a cattails for building materials. The salt bushes add no significant sharp boundary line between food value but provide a good vegetation types. The transition nesting area for small bird and marsh occurs in the upper portions game populations. of tidal creeks where fresh and Blue Heron Zone IV, the reed grass saline water meet. Ducks, rails and (Phragmites) marsh, is covered muskrats are provided with with colonies of tall, stout, leafy excellent nesting and shelte .r sites plants. The phragmites provide and abundant food. some cover and nesting for the Zone VI is the tidal freshwater wildlife, but like the salt bushes, is marsh characterized by arrow-arum of little food value. It also tends to and pickeral weed, upright, closely take over and displace other marsh spaced clumps of plants with vegetation. broad, arrowhead-shaped leaves The transition marsh, Zone V, is and thick, fleshy roots. Wild rice unique from the other zones and cattails may also grow in the area but on slightly higher because no single species of elevation. vegetation dominates. Instead, a Many species of ducks come to feast on the wild rice and some Painted Turtle Muskrat WETLAND DESTRUCTION swamp may turn into a marsh or a marsh to upland; the end result usually represents a decline in its natural capabilities. In the past, wetlands have Changing the water level of a Pollution is a serious threat to suffered at the hands of meddling wetland by dredging, damming, or the wetlands. Sewage, industrial humans. Considered a possible filling can drastically alter its waste, pesticides and fertilizers health hazard, wetlands were natural functions. The wetland pour through a wetland, reach drained or filled to make them may be completely and lethal levels and finally kill "usable." Not realizing how useful permanently destroyed or it may vegetation and wildlife. wetlands already were in their change its class completely. A natural state, man has destroyed approximately 45 million acres of WHAT CAN WE DO ? wetlands, more than a third of the total wetland area nationwide. One potentially destructive Wetlands are a difficult resource passed the Wetlands Act on July activity is dredging, removing land to protect. No fence runs along 17, 1973. This act gives the state Delaware's coastline marking authority to regulate the use of or bottom material to create and where they begin or end. The tidal wetlands. Any activity maintain channels. Dredging 93,000 acres of tidal wetlands involving dredging, filling, directly destroys the wetland's sprawl across bay and ocean fronts, dumping, draining, bulk-heading, bottom sediments and all regardless of political boundaries construction of any kind or any organisms existing there, including and property lines. Many consider activity not exempted by law snails, worms and fly larvae. They them useless in their natural state. requires a permit from the feed on stored, decayed materials Destruction from building, Department of Natural Resources and bacteria and in turn, are the dumping, dredging and filling has and Environmental Control. principal food source for ducks been enormous. and other wildlife. Once the Exempted activities include bottom habitat is disrupted, it Recognizing the value of authorized mosquito control takes several years for the snails wetlands and concerned about the projects, construction of and other small organisms to rapid alteration and loss of this directional navigation aids, duck recolonize. resource, the state legislature blinds, foot bridges, placing of boundary stakes, wildlife nesting All permit applications are There are heavy penalties for structures, grazing of domestic reviewed by the Department of persons who choose to violate the animals, haying, hunting, fishing Natural Resources and wetland regulations. Persons and trapping. Maps have been Environmental Control which caught and convicted will be fined prepared of wetlands regulated by considers the environmental, not less than $500 and not more the Department and are available aesthetic and economic impact of than $10,000 for each offense, for review. the project. The effects of the with each day constituting a Permit applications are available activity on neighboring land is also separate offense. through the Wetlands Section of reviewed. Through strict enforcement,of the Division of Environmental An advertisement stating the this program, Delaware's wetlands Control. Type I permits are purpose of the permit application are protected. The threat of required for projects where only and the fact that it has been filed extinction no longer exists. Public one acre or less of wetlands is is circulated in a statewide daily attitudes are changing. Delaware's involved and no building of newspaper and in a newspaper in wetlands are considered a valuable structures is included. Repair of the county where the activity is natural resource that with wise and bridges, roads, and highways; proposed. If any written objections proper use will continue to benefit maintenance work on any public are received within 20 days of the man and the environment. utility or existing wildlife advertisement, the Department management impoundments; and may hold a public hearing. So visit a wetland. Enjoy the maintenance dredging that does beauty and tranquility of the not dump the spoil onto the After weighing all the facts and untouched wildlife. As long as wetland are all covered under Type objections, the Department can protection exists, our wetlands can I permits. either issue a permit or deny it. last a lifetime. Projects involving more than The applicant can appeal the For more information on decision to the Wetlands Appeals wetlands contact: one acre of wetland or Board within 20 days of the construction require Type II Department's announcement. Department of Natural Resources permits. Construction of electrical and Environmental Control energy lines, permanent access Wetlands Section roads, gas, water or Blue Hen Mail petroleum lines, and general Second Floor, Room 203 building of structures are included Dover, DE 19901 under Type 11 permits. NOAA COASTAL SERVICES CENTER LIBARY 36668141099624