Wetland Restoration Guidebooks for Landowners
Several agencies in DNREC perform wetland habitat restoration and enhancement in partnership with other conservation groups and agencies throughout the state.
Division of Soil and Water Ecological Restoration and Protection Team
The goal of the Ecological Restoration and Protection Team is to restore and protect streams, drainage ditches, wetlands, and riparian corridors in a coordinated effort to ensure that the maximum level of environmental results are being derived to enhance water quality, provide stream-bank protection and reduce erosion, and establish wildlife habitat.
Wetland restoration is taking place in a variety of settings from marginal agricultural fields to school yards to create additional wildlife habitat, improve water quality and increase the efficiency of farming operations.
Stream restoration is being targeted toward existing tax ditches and degraded natural stream systems to provide long-term stability and improve ecological value by reestablishing natural flood plains and sinuous low-flow channels using geomorphologic approaches.
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Family time volunteering |
Schoolyard wetland habitat |
Division of Fish and Wildlife Northern Delaware Wetland Rehabilitation Program
The Mosquito Control Section is active in projects to restore and enhance wetlands habitats through the Northern Delaware Rehabilitation Program (NDWRP). NDWRP is a collaborative partnership between DNREC’s Divisions of Fish and Wildlife and other natural resource agencies. These partnerships are working to restore up to 10,000 acres of degraded urban wetlands along the Christina and Lower Delaware River corridor.
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Pre-restoration design and mapping |
Repairing tidal breach |
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Landowners with their restored wetland |
Division of Fish and Wildlife, Private Lands Assistance Program
Delaware is a biologically diverse state of hardwood forests, swamps and coastal marshes that support over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Despite significant strides in conservation, much of the wildlife habitat in Delaware remains isolated, degraded and unprotected as more land is converted to urban, commercial and industrial uses.
Over 80 percent of the available and/or restorable wildlife habitat in Delaware occurs on private lands. The future of Delaware’s wildlife and habitat resources hinges on finding cooperative solutions with Delaware’s private landowners to restore and enhance wildlife habitat on their properties.
Realizing this, the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife reorganized its staff to devote more energy to assisting private landowners improve and protect their lands for wildlife. The DFW has biologists devoted to informing landowners about available programs, providing technical assistance in developing habitat projects and securing financial assistance as incentives for participation.
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Division of Fish and Wildlife Delaware Landowner Incentive Program (DELIP)
DELIP offers private landowners, particularly agricultural producers, technical and financial incentives to protect, enhance and/or restore habitat to benefit species-at-risk. This may range from creating shallow water wetland habitat for migratory shorebirds and controlling invasive species in bog turtle habitats to establishing native warm season grasses for Upland sandpipers and planting trees for the Delmarva fox squirrel. Although DELIP money targets species-at-risk, habitat work for the target species always translates to benefits for a wide suite of species including many game species |
Endangered bog turtle |
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Marsh overtaken by Phragmites australis |
Division of Fish and Wildlife, Phragmites Control Cost-Share Program
The Phragmites Control Cost-Share Program administered by DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife consists of aerial spraying of Phragmites australis (an invasive species commonly found throughout Delaware’s wetlands) for three consecutive years with a glyphosate-based aquatic herbicide. The Division of Fish and Wildlife provides matching funds to qualifying landowners. Landowner must have between five and 200 undeveloped acres of Phragmites to be eligible for the program. |
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Division of Soil and Water Wetland and Channel Restoration
The Drainage Program is responsible for over 45 wetland and stream restoration projects, resulting in approximately 180 acres of total restoration and habitat creation. Restoration activities are being put into practice in a variety of locations including: local schools, backyards of private landowners, marginal agricultural fields, and along Tax Ditches. |
Channel Restoration Project |
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| Stabilizing wetland stream bank at Mispillion River |
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The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. EQIP supports production agriculture and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, Delaware farmers may receive financial and technical help to plan, design and install structural conservation practices and to plan and implement management practices on eligible agricultural land.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides technical, educational, and financial assistance to eligible farmers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner. The program is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation. The purposes of the program are achieved through the implementation of a conservation plan. Two (2) to Ten (10) year contracts are made with producers and cost-share payments may be made to implement eligible conservation practices including animal waste management systems, buffer strips, and nutrient management.
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife
Partners for Fish and Wildlife provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in restoring wetland hydrology, riparian, grassland and upland forest habitats. When available, funding from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program requires landowners to sign an agreement to protect the public investment for a minimum of 10 years, with greater priority given to agreements of longer duration that restore threatened and endangered species habitats.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Coastal Program
The Coastal Program’s habitat conservation efforts are primarily focused on wetland restoration, reforestation and riparian habitat restoration to benefit migratory songbirds and waterfowl in priority areas. Working with a variety of partners, this program offers financial and technical assistance to landowners interested in restoring habitat. |
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County Conservation Districts
Conservation Districts provide technical and financial assistance to landowners and property managers interested in implementing conservation practices to control soil erosion, improve water quality, manage agricultural and animal waste, enhance stormwater basins and restore wildlife habitat. These practices and cost-share rates vary by district. For more detailed information please contact the Conservation District in your county.
New Castle Conservation District
Kent Conservation District
Sussex Conservation District
Ducks Unlimited
DU and its full complement of staff provide comprehensive wetland conservation services including protection, restoration, enhancement, and technical assistance. A unique component of DU is the integrated team effort between biologists and engineers, who combine their respective professions to deliver the complete package from planning and design to contracting, construction and monitoring. Habitat Stewardship Program Brochure
Representatives from several of the agencies above have worked together to develop a restoration plan for the Nanticoke Watershed. More information about the initiative can be found on the Nanticoke Watershed page. |
