Conservation and Stewardship

Delaware Coastal Programs works with partners at the state, regional and national level to promote better stewardship of coastal habitats. Stewardship involves a wide range of activities including land acquisition, habitat mapping, ecological restoration, invasive species monitoring, resource inventories, demonstration areas, and more.

For more information on stewardship efforts, please contact Delaware Coastal Programs, at 302-739-6377.

Coastal Land Conservation

The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve protects over 6,200 acres of coastal and estuarine habitat in Kent and Southern New Castle County for research and education.

DNERR Stewardship Plan

The DNERR Stewardship Plan (2019) is a revision to the 2007 Blackbird Creek Reserve Ecological Restoration Master Plan. It will guide ecological restoration initiatives for the DNERR-owned parcels of the Blackbird Creek Reserve, approximately 483 acres in southern New Castle County.

Restoration and Land Management

The land actively managed by the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) provides for appropriate recreational and research uses while protecting natural, historic and cultural resources. The Reserve models responsible management practices for other organizations and individuals in nearby coastal communities.

Activities include habitat mapping, invasive species management, a native plant nursery and several demonstration sites

Living Shoreline at the Blackbird Creek Reserve
Rain Garden at the St. Jones Reserve
The Alvin B. Wilson Conservation Demonstration Area at the St. Jones Reserve

Ongoing Restoration Projects

The following restoration projects are supported by funds from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Marian R. Okie Preserve Poplar Thicket Restoration

A portion of funds from the NOAA IIJA capacity grant awarded to Delaware Coastal Management Programs (DCMP) is being used to support the designs of the planned Okie Preserve restoration efforts.

The Division of Watershed Stewardship is overseeing this project which entails the restoration of coastal habitat and implementation of nature-based solutions to reduce continued shoreline erosion at the Okie Preserve.

This design plan will include site assessment, engineering design, permitting support and bid support services.

Blackbird Creek Reserve Reforestation and Meadow Creation

This restoration project is a collaboration among DNERR, DCMP and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to restore and enhance 27 acres of agricultural land within the Blackbird Creek Reserve — 22 acres of early successional, young forest habitat and five acres of early successional, herbaceous (meadow) habitat.

The long-term goal of this restoration is to augment poorly buffered riparian corridors, improve water quality and increase forest patch size and habitat connectivity.

Funding for this project is from NFWF with some coordination funding coming from the NOAA IIJA capacity grant.

Dredge Materials Management Plan Synthesis (DMMP)

DCMP was awarded capacity funding through the IIJA and collaborated with the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship on the DMMP to assist with the funding of various design and analysis phases.

DNREC maintains many of the inland waterway navigation channels and intends to beneficially use these sediments in coastal restoration projects. The Synthesis will help identify placement sites and match them with the appropriate sediment types for the use of the materials in future restoration sites around the channels.

Southbridge East Habitat Restoration Planning Project

The City of Wilmington Department of Public Works was awarded funding from NOAA for the Southbridge East Habitat Restoration Planning Project, which will produce designs for the restoration and enhancement of 12.7 acres of degraded wetland habitat along the Christina River in the Southbridge community.

Implementation of these designs will help the community reduce flooding, enhance resiliency, accomplish ecological restoration, improve water quality in the Christina River and create recreational opportunities for its residents and visitors.