SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with local partners on a draft Lakes Management Plan for Silver Lake and Lake Comegys in Sussex County.
On June 28, the City of Rehoboth Beach, is hosting a public Town Hall meeting, to discuss the findings of the report by the U.S. Army Corps.
The meeting will be held at the City of Rehoboth Beach Convention Center from 9 a.m. to approximately 10:30 a.m. The meeting schedule is as follows:
9-9:30 a.m. – Open House
9:30-9:50 a.m. – Presentation by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
9:50-10:30 a.m. – Q & A
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has provided technical expertise and funding assistance for establishment of a Lake Management Plan for Silver Lake and Lake Comegys based on a request and ongoing coordination with the City of Rehoboth Beach, Town of Dewey Beach, Sussex County government and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
The draft plan details existing conditions at the two lakes, providing background on their history of flooding, droughts and poor water quality. People who live nearby said these issues at the lakes have been neglected overtime.
“This plan has been developed to be a living document, maintained by the partners to mark progress toward the objectives or redefine objectives, as necessary, to successfully manage the lake based on a unified vision for the maintenance and improvement of the lakes. It is suggested that partners assess progress toward the short-term and long-term goals annually and reassess the objectives every five years,” the report reads.
The U.S. Army Corps provided recommendations on a variety of lake management practices regarding water quality, riparian buffers, lake water level management, and shoreline management. The report outlined a plan for better coordination efforts between all partners when addressing concerns at the lakes. Additionally, feedback was given on ways to better manage water quality through routine testing and monitoring of invasive species. One proposed change is to better manage the watershed by creating barriers to limit stormwater runoff in the lakes.
The draft plan was released last week and can be found here.