Riverine wetland in the Pocomoke watershed. The Pocomoke watershed is a combination of five sub-watersheds in Sussex County extending into Maryland /DNREC photo
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has released a report card on the health of wetlands within the Delaware and Maryland portion of the Pocomoke watershed – with the wetlands earning a grade of A-, with recommendations for improvement. Published by the DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program (WMAP), the report card covers the Pocomoke watershed, a combination of five sub-watersheds. All told, the watershed encompasses 138,125 acres or 215 square miles in Sussex County and extending south into Maryland.
During the summer of 2022, environmental scientists from the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship collected data on plants, hydrology, and wetland buffer disturbances from 54 random sites within the Pocomoke watershed. Using wetland stressor checklists and biological metrics, DNREC scientists determined the wetlands in the watershed to be in excellent condition – the highest-rated wetlands of any Delaware watersheds graded to date by DNREC. WMAP scientists found the most common stressors to the Pocomoke watershed were tree harvesting, invasive plants, channelized streams or ditching, and mowing.
The WMAP report found approximately 27% of the land area of the Pocomoke watershed is currently covered by wetlands. WMAP performed freshwater assessments in 29 flat wetlands, nine riverine wetlands, and 16 depression wetlands by the Delaware Rapid Assessment Procedure (DERAP), using v.1.1 of the Value-Added Assessment Protocol, a data collection method created by DNREC environmental scientists, and available for use by professionals and the public. No tidal wetlands were assessed because there were very few of them found in the watershed, and what few exist were inaccessible or had been misclassified. It was also learned that the Pocomoke watershed contained Category One wetlands, which are unique, freshwater wetland types in Delaware.
DNREC’s data was used to create a technical report and a more user-friendly “watershed report card.” The technical report summarizes the health of the Pocomoke watershed’s wetlands and also includes:
The report card condenses general information on the watershed, summarizes environmental indicators of wetland health, and showcases what the public can do to help the future of the Pocomoke watershed’s wetlands.
Mapping analysis estimated that by 2017, 54% of historic wetland acreage in the watershed had been lost, mostly due to conversion to agricultural land. On-the-ground assessments were used to rate the health and function of remaining wetlands. Impacts to wetland health reduce a wetland’s ability to perform fully, diminishing its valuable role in controlling flooding and erosion; improving water quality; storing excess rainwater; and providing ecosystem services for both people and wildlife. In this watershed, wetlands overall received an A- grade. Riverine wetland types received a grade of A-, flat wetland types received B grade, while and depression wetland types a grade of A+.
Based on the results of the study, DNREC made recommendations to scientists, public decision makers and landowners targeted toward improving and enhancing the future health of Delaware’s wetlands. These recommendations included maintaining adequate wetland buffers, restoration activities, increasing education and outreach, using best management practices, suggesting that landowners protect wetlands on their property, and improving the protection of the watershed’s non-tidal wetlands for the future.
The DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program prepares wetland health reports for Delaware watersheds. Those reports, including for the Pocomoke watershed, are found at de.gov/watershedhealth.
About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.
Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov
###