DELAWARE - DNREC has begun channel marker installation and maintenance activities on five major boating spots in Delaware’s Inland Bays. DNREC hopes to complete the channel marking and maintenance ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
While some smaller portions of the project could extend into early June, the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section within the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship aims to finish five channel marking jobs. DNREC said this work will address navigation safety concerns, replace missing navigation aids and restore channel marking functionality in several state waterways impacted by storms and shifting conditions over the last year.
The impacted channels and the work ahead for DNREC include:
- Lower Indian River: Installation of nine channel markers has been completed
- Roy Creek: Installation of seven channel markers
- Whites Creek: Replacement of six channel markers is underway to address an active navigation hazard
- Beach Cove: Replacement of 12 channel markers
- The Ditch: Relocation and installation of 10 channel markers
“Boaters are encouraged to use caution in affected areas and monitor applicable Notices to Mariners issued by the U.S. Coast Guard during ongoing operations," said Shoreline and Waterway Management Section Administrator Josh Lippert.
DNREC also determined that floating markers within Baker’s Channel present a potential concern. More than half the markers are missing, and the remaining markers are off station and no longer accurately reflect navigable conditions. As a result, DNREC said it intends to remove the remaining off-station markers within Baker’s Channel and does not intend to replace them at this time due to "current operational and staffing challenges."
DNREC’s review also found that Baker’s Channel was not established as a formal state-maintained navigational channel. Nearby Massey’s Ditch remains the recognized and actively maintained state navigation route for the area.
