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Ecological
Restoration and Protection
Stream restoration along reach of Mill Creek in New Castle
County |
Ecological
restoration is a very important mission for the Department
of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. To strengthen
the Department’s abilities to implement environmentally beneficial
on-the-ground projects, Secretary John A. Hughes assembled an Ecological
Restoration and Protection Team in September, 2003. The goal
of the team is the restoration and protection of
streams, drainage ditches, wetlands, and riparian corridors in a
coordinated effort to ensure that the maximum environmental results
are being derived for every project. Projects strive to enhance
water quality, provide flood control, water management, and establish
wildlife
habitat to derive biodiversity benefits.
Farm field converted to wetland
in the Nanticoke watershed |
The
team is made up of people representing all of DNREC's divisions,
as well as outside agencies like the Conservation Districts,
Natural
Resources
Conservation
Service, U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and Delaware
Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry. Team
members possess expertise from all the applicable scientific fields
required for evaluating sites and implementing
ecological restoration projects. Recognizing the need for
the department to have a single point of contact for restoration
projects and
to lead the team, Stephen N. Williams now serves as the Ecological
Restoration Coordinator for the agency.
Restored wetland in marginal agriculture field located
in western
Kent County |
Through
the efforts of the team, the department continues to implement
projects utilizing new and innovative wetland and stream restoration
techniques and concepts. Wetland restoration is taking place
in marginal agricultural fields 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 geomorphological approaches.
For
more information about the Department’s Ecological Restoration
and Protection initiative, please contact Stephen
N. Williams by e-mail or phone him at 302-739-4403.
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