Publications:
Fact Cards
 Delaware's
Inland Bays are made up of three interconnected
water bodies; Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay,
and Little Assawoman Bay. These bays and their
tributaries cover about 32 square miles and
drain a 300 square mile watershed. Thousands
of visitors enjoy the beaches, boating, sailing,
windsurfing, fishing, clamming, hiking, and
wildlife watching in the Inland Bays watershed.
The watershed's wide array of habitats is
home to a large diversity of species that
live and breed in the area.
Facts About the Estuary
- Almost
30 square miles of the Inland Bays are
classified as shellfish water although
only 19 are approved for shellfishing.
Hard clams and blue crabs are currently
the only commercially or recreationally
important shellfish.
- Over
60,000 people live in the Inland Bay's
watershed. Sussex County's population
is expected to increase by 30 percent
over the next 20 years and average summer
weekend populations are expected to increase
200 percent.
- Watershed
land use is 10 percent urban, 44 percent
forest, and 32 percent agriculture.
- Recreation
and tourism contribute $250 million annually
to the local economy. Boating is a popular
activity; marinas and private docks in
the Inland Bays shelter 7500 boats.
- Seventy
million chickens are produced in the watershed
each year. They create 95 tons of manure
annually. The estuary provides important
habitat for finfish and a stop over for
neotropical songbirds.
Health
of the Estuary
- Excess
nutrients cause algal blooms that block
sunlight from reaching the bottom of the
bays thereby decreasing of dissolved oxygen
levels.
- Twenty-five
percent of total nitrogen entering the
bays comes from the atmosphere; point
sources account for four percent.
- Septic
systems annually discharge as much as
480,000 pounds of nitrogen and 250,000
pounds of phosphorous to the soil.
- Approximately
18,000 septic systems are permitted in
the watershed.
- Only
60,000 acres of forest remain in the watershed,
most privately owned.
- Fifty-four
percent of Delaware's wetlands have been
lost since 1780.
- Population
increases and nutrient loading in the
watershed impact habitat quantity
and quality.
Accomplishments
of the Estuary Program
- Preserved
and have begun restoring over 150 acres
to native hardwood forest.
- The
Inland Bays Journal, inserted into local
newspapers, reaches over 30,000 Sussex
County residents and spreads news of the
Bay's problems and solutions.
- Developed
pollution-control strategies to meet required
Total Maximum Daily Loads for nitrogen
and phosphorous in the Inland Bays.
- Logged
over 1400 hours of volunteer time in the
past two years.
- Erected
"Now Entering the Inland Bays Watershed"
signs to remind tourists and residents
that actions even far away can affect
the bays.
- Received
$40,000 grant to construct a Demonstration
Oyster Reef in Indian River Bay.
- Over
500 kids, ranging in age from 6 to 12,
visited the James Farm Ecological Preserve
to participate in extension activities.
For
Viewing and Printing:
Before printing one or more of these National
Estuary Program files,
check out each of their text only versions for
quick viewing.
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from Adobe's site through a direct link.
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