Public Workshop for the
Assawoman Bay TMDL

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) held a public workshop on the Assawoman Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) on September 28 at the Bethany Beach Town Hall.

Many fresh and marine waters of the Inland Bays watershed do not meet Delaware's water quality requirements.  Water quality standards are established to protect aquatic life and support various uses of the waters of the Inland Bays, such as swimming.  To address these issues, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) adopted a TMDL regulation for Indian River, Indian River Bay, and Rehoboth Bay in 1998.  This TMDL calls for the systematic elimination of all point sources of nutrients in the watershed and significant reduction of nonpoint source nutrient loads within the watershed.

The 1998 modeling tool used to establish the Inland Bays TMDL did not cover the Little Assawoman Bay because of the tool's limitations.  Establishment of the TMDL for the bay was postponed until additional data were collected and assessment tools developed.  After extensive field monitoring and data collection, DNREC recently completed developing state-of-the-art computer models that were used in designing the proposed Little Assawoman Bay TMDL, calling for a 40% reduction of nonpoint source nitrogen and phosphorous loads.

About twenty people attended the workshop, where presentations were made by DNREC staff and ENTRIX, the modeling contractor.  Audience concerns included the fast pace of growth in the watershed, and the slow pace of developing the TMDL and a pollution control strategy.  A request was made for DNREC to assist developers and their consultants by providing tools  for use in designing on-site wastewater treatment facilities that would meet the TMDL's requirements.

A public hearing for the proposed Little Assawoman Bay TMDL is tentatively scheduled for November 30, 2004 at Bethany Beach Town Hall from 3:00 - 5:00 PM.  Please contact Hassan Mirsadaji at (302) 739-4590 for additional information.