Wetlands and Subaqueous Lands Permits

Authorization from the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section is required for activities in tidal wetlands or in tidal and non-tidal waters in the State of Delaware. The section issues various types of authorizations depending upon the location and type of activity proposed. Online Applications Division

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DNREC Photo Contest

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is always interested in striking photographic images taken throughout the state of Delaware. Each year, the department holds a photo contest to find and feature photographs that highlight Delaware’s natural beauty and focus on subjects such as waterways, landscapes, native plants, wildlife and aquatic life,

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Shoreline Public Access 

Starting in the summer of 2027, Delaware communities along Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay shorelines will need approved shoreline public access plans before beginning beach nourishment, maintenance or improvement projects using public funds. To help them meet that requirement, DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section (SWMS) has developed guidelines for developing shoreline public access plans. 

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

The DNREC Division of Water provides tools to access Division of Water permit statuses and related documents for several programs. They are part of a suite of Division of Water Digital Resources. Use the form below to find a recent Wetlands and Waterways Program application or search all approved Wetlands and

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A listing of recent applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A collection of applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A collection of recent applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A listing of recent applications submitted to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Aplikasyon Pèmi pou Zòn ki Imid ak Wout Dlo

Yon lis aplikasyon pou pèmi ki sot pase yo nan Seksyon DNREC Wetlands and Waterways.

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Solicitudes de Permiso de Pantanos y Canales

Una lista de solicitudes de permisos recientes a la Sección de Humedales y Vías Navegables del DNREC.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A listing of recent permit applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Economic Analysis for Shoreline Management

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has released a study that investigates the economic benefits of beach nourishment and begins to explore a more equitable policy to share the cost of these projects with the people who benefit from them. [button type=”primary” block=”true” link=”https://documents.dnrec.delaware.gov/Watershed/Shorelines/economic-analysis/Full-Report.pdf”

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Indian River Inlet North Beach Repair Project

DNREC has completed the emergency dredging and beach repair project at the North Indian River Inlet Beach. Approximately 480,000 cubic yards of sand was dredged and used for restoration. The project focused on strengthening shoreline

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Aplikasyon Pèmi pou Zòn ki Imid ak Wout Dlo

Yon lis aplikasyon ki sot pase yo bay Divizyon Dlo DNREC pou pèmi ki gen zòn ki Imid ak wout dlo.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A listing of recent applications to the DNREC Division of Water for wetlands related permits.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications: USACE General Permit

The Corps of Engineers proposes to reissue a general permit that authorizes certain existing and proposed piers, docks, mooring piles, boat lifts, breakwaters and the replacement of existing serviceable bulkhead structures.

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Solicitudes de Permiso de Pantanos y Canales

Un listado de solicitudes de permiso de pantanos y canales de DNREC.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A listing of recent applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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White Creek and Assawoman Canal Dredging

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has completed a dredging project in the White Creek and Assawoman Canal navigation channels. The primary goal of the project was to improve safe navigability. Secondarily, dredged material was placed in degraded marshes to restore lost habitat. Project

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A collection of applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A listing of recent applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Wetlands and Waterways Permit Applications

A listing of recent applications for permits to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section.

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Wetlands and Waterways Applications

The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have applied for subaqueous lands permits and water quality certifications to conduct dredging and beach replenishment along Lewes Beach.

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Wetlands and Waterways Applications

A listing of recent applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section for wetlands and subaqueous lands permits and leases.

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Wetlands and Waterways Applications

A listing of recent applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section for wetlands and subaqueous lands permits and leases.

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Wetlands and Waterways Applications

A listing of recent applications to the DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section for subaqueous lands leases and marina permits.

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Delaware Inland Bay and Delaware Bay Coast Coastal Storm Risk Management Study

The Coastal Storm Risk Management Study of the Delaware Inland Bays and Delaware Bay Coast (known as the Back Bay Study) will explore potential storm risk management problems and flood risk reduction solutions. It will recommend risk reduction solutions that increase community resilience to coastal storms. Statement from

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Waterway Section Comment Form

This form is for comments on projects undertaken by the DNREC Waterway Management Section. Please include your name and contact information and select the project you are commenting on from the dropdown menu. Your Name

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What’s Regulated?

The state regulates activities in tidal wetlands and in tidal and non-tidal waters in the State of Delaware. Wetlands in Delaware are regulated under the Delaware Wetland Regulations (7 DE Admin. Code 7502), the Regulations Governing the Use of Subaqueous Lands (7 DE Admin. Code 7504) and the

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State Regulated Wetlands Map Index

To determine if you have state-regulated tidal wetlands on your property, browse or search the state-regulated wetlands index map to find and download maps of state-regulated

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Are There Wetlands on My Property?

The State of Delaware and the federal government both have laws and regulations that govern wetlands, but they use different methods for determining the location and extent of the wetlands they regulate. You

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Wetlands and Waterways

The DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section provides permitting services for activities in Delaware’s wetlands, bays, rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and other waterways that might require a permit under state law. Are There Wetlands on My Property? Learn the differences between state-regulated and federally-regulated wetlands and how you

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Murderkill Inlet Jetty Rehabilitation

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has begun a project to replace and rehabilitate the jetties at the entrance of the Murderkill River. Comments and Questions

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Emergency Murderkill River Inlet Dredging

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has completed an emergency dredging project at the mouth of the Murderkill River. The goal of the project was to restore navigability and increase boating safety while strengthening shoreline resiliency.

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Pilottown Road Mitigation Study

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has undertaken an investigation of flood mitigation options for the section of Pilottown Road, in Lewes, that crosses Canary Creek near its confluence with the Broadkill River. The section of Pilottown Road leading to the Canary Creek bridge is

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Coastal Construction Permits

The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship manages permits and approvals under the regulatory programs that govern coastal construction in Delaware. Permits and letters of approval are managed

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Dam Safety

The Delaware Dam Safety Program works to reduce the risk of failure of dams and to prevent injuries, property damage, and loss of reservoir storage due to dam failure. It oversees the design and construction, operation and maintenance, and inspection of regulated dams in Delaware.

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Questions and Answers

A collection of common questions, and answers, about the coastal construction regulatory program. The Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section has a series of maps that show the location of the Building Line.

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Adopt-a-Beach

DNREC’s Adopt-A-Beach program is a partnership between the Department and Delaware volunteers, working in tandem to protect and enhance Delaware’s beaches. Going beyond just picking up litter, DNREC’s goals for

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Beach Grass Planting

Volunteers are the backbone of Delaware’s shoreline stabilization. Every March since 1990, except when pandemic conditions prevented it, dedicated volunteers have stabilized Delaware’s sand dunes by planting more than 5 million stems of Cape American beach grass along ocean and bay beaches. The annual beach grass planting is

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You Can Help Protect Beaches and Dunes

There are several ways property owners and visitors can preserve and protect beaches and dunes. Plant Beach Grass Planting ‘Cape’ American beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata)

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Beaches and Shorelines

The DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section works to maintain and improve Delaware’s beaches, shorelines and waterways. The section manages the shoreline through regulation of coastal construction activities and implementation of dune and beach management practices. It also works to protect and enhance eroded beaches to enable continued

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Coastal Construction

Coastal development adds stress to beach systems, especially to dunes. Dunes and beaches are the first lines of protection from wave action for coastal communities during coastal storms. Dunes also act as storage areas that supply sand to the beach during storms.

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Delaware Beach Building Line Maps

The Regulations Governing Beach Protection and the Use of Beaches (7 DE Admin. Code 5102) establishes a “building line” along the coast and stipulate that no construction may take place seaward of that without a Coastal Construction Permit or Coastal Construction Letter of Approval from the Department. The building line is mapped

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Beaches are a Natural Resource

The sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay shorelines are valuable natural resources to the State of Delaware. The beaches were created by nature and continue to be shaped by wind and waves. The 1972 Beach Preservation Act (7 Del.C. Chapter 68) provides the authority to DNREC to enhance, preserve, and protect the

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Macroalgae in Delaware’s Inland Bays

The water quality of Delaware’s Inland Bays is very important to outdoor recreational activities available for Delawareans and visitors alike. The Assawoman, Indian River and Rehoboth Bays provide a superb venue for fishing, boating, waterskiing and other related outdoor activities. However, like so many natural resources, these areas also suffer from the negative effects of

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Watershed Stewardship Contacts

Drainage Program 21309 Berlin

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Determining Dredging Priorities

The DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section uses a data-based method to prioritize statewide dredging projects in Delaware’s Inland Bays and along the Delaware Bay coast. Navigable Channels

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2020 Masseys Ditch Dredging Project

The project to dredge Massey’s Ditch, an important navigation channel in the Inland Bays, was completed on February 27, 2020. The demobilization and removal of equipment such as pipeline concluded in mid-March 2020.

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Waterway Management Workshops

What does it take to keep Delaware’s waterways open and safe? The DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section held a series of informational open house workshops in 2019 to share information about dredging and other waterway management operations in Delaware. Shoreline and

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