Osher Course What Lies Beneath the Inland Bays?
Objectives for Course Describe the Delaware Inland Bays and their tributaries Illustrate the ecology and importance of estuaries Demonstrate the threats to the Inland Bays Present the current state of the Inland Bays Describe the role of citizen science in monitoring the bays Field trip to James Farm
The Center for the Inland Bays Private, nonprofit organization - 501(C)(3) Established in 1994 by an act of the Delaware legislature One of 28 National Estuary Programs
A National Estuary Program
Photo: Melanie Thym Delaware Center for the Inland Bays To preserve, protect and restore Delaware s Inland Bays, the water that flows into them, and the watershed around them
Inland Bays Watershed Coastal lagoon system behind a barrier island Shallow, poorly flushed estuary Average depth: 4.5 ft Ocean Inlets: Indian River and Ocean City Watershed is 292 mi 2 that drains to 35 mi 2 of bays and tributaries Mixed land use: agriculture, forest, wetlands, and increasingly developed lands Groundwater dominated inputs from- 89K year round residents Sandy soils
Delaware s Inland Bays & their Watershed
You cannot step twice into the same stream -- Heraclitus
Seashore Mallow Kosteletzkya pentacarpos
What Threatens our Inland Bays?
Human population increasing & driving changes that are impacting Bays Resident Population 300,000 Sussex County 214,075 102,684 Watershed 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 Residents 0 1780 1810 1840 1870 1900 1930 1960 1990 2020 2050
Agricultural and forested land converting to developed
3,500 3,000 2,500 Cumulative Acres 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 Agricultural and forested land converting to developed During this time of development, habitat protection and restoration stalled Natural Habitat Protection & Restoration 0 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015
Excess Nutrients Going into the Bays Result from Agricultural state nutrient management N, P Residential fertilizers- N, P Combustion of fossil fuels-co2, CO, SO2 Wastewater disposal Large systems Septic systems Transported through Surface water Ground water
Eutrophication A process where water bodies receive excess nutrients which result in excessive plant growth such as algal bloom The algae take up oxygen and block sunlight for photosynthesis
NUTRIENT LOAD: Too Much Nitrogen & Phosphorus Nutrient pollution is the major problem facing the Inland Bays
DISSOLVED OXYGEN: Levels are too low Dissolved oxygen supports healthy and diverse populations of aquatic life. In the past, upstream portions of the creek have had low and very fluctuating oxygen levels not healthy for aquatic life. Delaware has a minimum standard of 4 mg/l for tidal creeks to be considered healthy
A Healthy Estuary Diverse populations Pollution intolerant species Bay grasses Shellfish A BALANCE
A Sick Estuary Too many nutrients from human activity Plant-dominated community (algae) Pollution tolerant species No bay grasses AN IMBALANCE
BACTERIA POLLUTION: Levels are too high Water quality in Love Creek is worsening due to increased levels of harmful bacteria Love Creek water exceeds the safe standard roughly 20% of the time (during the swimming season) The overall trend shows this is getting worse. Identifying and removing sources of harmful bacteria needs to be a priority.
BACTERIA POLLUTION: Levels are too high Closed for shellfishing Average fecal bacteria levels from June September exceed the safe swimming standard in Love Creek. DNREC ordered a portion of Love Creek closed to all commercial and recreational shellfish harvesting due to increased bacteria levels.
Role of Tidal Wetlands
most simply described wetlands are areas where two planes regularly interact: the land surface and the water table
1 foot Saltmarshes Support Coastal Fisheries Protect coastal properties from storms and flooding Regulate the climate by storing carbon Support coastal bird populations. Define Delaware
Greater Snow Geese
Wetland Services by the numbers >250 animals and 300 plants of special concern in DE associated with wetlands nearly 80% of DE s rarest plants are wetlands species 85-95% of recreationally and commercially important coastal fisheries rely on tidal wetlands as nurseries for their young In 1991, 155,000 people spent almost $60 million fishing in Delaware's waters, resulting in $29 million in earnings, and supporting 1,605 jobs. wildlife watching contributes $131 million to DE economy NJ estimates generates $1 billion of wage & salary annually from wild-life related tourism
Freshwater Flats Wetlands The most numerous wetlands Intercept, hold, and filter rain to prevent floods Clean recharge to aquifers Provide large tracts of forests for amphibians and birds Important to the timber and pulpwood resource Trees take up excess nitrogen
Sea Level Rise is increasing DNREC Sea Level Rise Planning Scenarios (based on levels of global greenhouse gas emissions) High Intermediate Low 1.75 1.50 1.25 1.00 0.75 0.50 0.25 0.00 2000 2025 2050 2075 2100 Sea Level Rise past 2010 (meters)
2008 Nor easter: Indian River Bay
What Are We Doing To Protect Our Bays?
Wave Action
Living Shorelines
Beneficial re-use of dredged material to enhance saltmarshes
Migratory fish are a critical part of the estuary. We can help bring them back! hickory shad blueback herring alewife striped bass American eel
How do we enhance migratory fish populations in our Inland Bays tributaries? This dam at Millsboro Pond on Route 24 represents an obstruction to spawning runs of key species in Indian River. There are 8 such dams in the Inland Bays drainage system.
Morris Mill Pond Goslee Pond Lower Betts Pond Burton Pond Upper Betts Pond Melvin Joseph Pond Ingram Pond Millsboro Pond
A TALE OF TWO SPECIES
Burton Pond
Burton Pond dam
OYSTERS
Oysters Are Habitat Forming 49 species of animals found using oyster gardens in the Inland Bays
Oysters Remove Algae from the Water and Increase Nitrogen Removal (Denitrification) Flow As water moves across a reef, oysters filter algae in the process of feeding Algae transformed into waste are excreted to bottom sediments Presence of oysters increases removal of nitrogen from the water via denitrification
Oyster Gardening Program
Support to local economy and quality of life Water quality improvement Habitat restoration and enhancement Community engagement and education
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