The Mispillion and Cedar Creek watersheds are located in southeastern Kent County and northeastern Sussex County. In Delaware this watershed includes the cities and towns of Milford, Houston, Lincoln and Slaughter Beach.

The wetlands in the watershed were assessed in the summer of 2012 by DNREC, and found to have an overall health grade of “C.” The Mispillion watershed has a very similar breakdown of wetland health as the Broadkill watershed, which is located just south and adjacent to the Mispillion watershed.

The Mispillion watershed had the second highest percentage of moderately stressed wetlands of the six watersheds completed so far.

Long-Term Goals

Based on the information gathered during this study eight management recommendations were created.

1. Preserve remaining ecologically significant wetlands.
2. Support the Delaware Bayshore Initiative by securing funding for wetland restoration and preservation.
3. Control the extent and spread of the non-native, invasive common reed (Phragmites australis).
4. Improve protection of nontidal wetlands.
5. Update tidal wetland regulatory maps.
6. Design a wetland restoration plan for the lower Delaware Bay Basin that includes the Mispillion River Watershed.
7. Improve the protection of flats.
8. Develop incentives to maintain natural buffers of tidal wetlands.

Wetland Assessment Report

• Mispillion Wetland Condition Report
• Mispillion Wetland Data
• Mispillion Wetland Health Report Card

Opportunities for both increasing wetland quality and quantity in target areas will be identified by integrating the data from the wetland monitoring and assessment program with data from other strategies and efforts.

For more information about the Condition Report, contact Alison Rogerson, at 302-739-9939.

Related Topics:  assessment, cedar creek, mispillion, river, watershed, watershed stewardship, wetlands