Posts Tagged ‘DNREC’
Mosquito Control to Spray for Mosquito Larvae Downstate during Daylight Hours Wednesday
Weather permitting; the Delaware Mosquito Control Section plans the following insecticide application for mosquito larvae located in flooded forested wetland habitats. This application could take place during the daylight hours on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, via helicopter (registration numbers N2268W and/or N862W). Application of Vectobac12AS (liquid BTI) to control mosquito larvae in the following areas: In Woodside. Near Dagsboro, Fenwick…
Read MorePublic Hearing Set on Proposed Fish Measurement Regulation
DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, March 25 at 6 p.m. to gather input on a proposed regulation that would standardize how fish length is measured for Delaware fisheries. Officials say the change would ensure consistency across regulations and help the state remain in compliance with Atlantic…
Read MoreDNREC to Begin Mosquito Spraying Friday
Mosquito spraying will begin on Friday! Mosquito Control will begin spraying the woodland pools to control aquatic immature mosquitoes and continue into mid-April – weather permitting. Spraying begins in southern Sussex County and will expand into Kent and New Castle Counties over the next several weeks. Targeting the woodland pool larval mosquitoes limits the emergence…
Read MoreGov Meyer Proclaims This Week as “Flood Awareness Week”
Governor Matt Meyer has proclaimed March 16 to 20 as Delaware Flood Awareness Week. This is in conjunction with DNREC, DEMA and the Department of Safety and Homeland Security which want residents to be better informed about flood risk, the likelihood of flooding from extreme weather…
Read MoreDelaware State Parks Fee Season Begins Sunday, March 1
Beginning Sunday – it will once again cost you to enter a Delaware State Park! The 2026 parks fee season will be underway from March 1st through November 30th. This year is the 75th Anniversary of the Delaware State Parks system and DNREC says that it will be packed with special events, activities and opportunities…
Read MoreDNREC Announces March 7 Youth Trout Day; March 8 Downstate Season Opener
DNREC has announced that Delaware’s 2026 downstate pond trout season will open for youth anglers under age 16 only at 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 7th followed by the opening of the regular downstate trout season for all anglers a half-hour before sunrise on Sunday, March 8th. Fishing will be allowed on youth opening day from 7…
Read MoreUPDATED: DNREC Reopens Indian River Bay to Harvest of Bivalve Shellfish
UPDATED – 02/06/26 – DNREC has reopened the Indian River Bay to clamming and shellfish harvest after a mandatory 21-day closure that followed a Jan. 15 wastewater release from the town of Millsboro’s sewage system. The emergency closure was enforced by DNREC under National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements when the sewage spill threatened to impact…
Read MoreDNREC Awards Record Improvement Grants for Local Parks
Nearly $2.2-million in matching grants — the largest in the program’s history — have been awarded by DNREC to help local and county governments acquire parkland, design and build parks and trails and construct outdoor recreational facilities. DNREC has awarded 18 grants from the Outdoor Recreation Parks and Trails (ORPT) Program – 10 for projects…
Read MoreUPDATED: MERR Performs Necropsy on Dead Whale Beached Near Bethany
UPDATED – 01/10/26 – A necropsy on the juvenile humpback whale that washed ashore near the Ocean Ridge community in Bethany Beach on Thursday found the 32-foot male whale had subdermal hemorrhaging and a broken jaw on the right side. Officials say this sort of injury is often associated with a large ship strike – and…
Read MoreDNREC Soliciting Project Proposals for Surface Water Matching Planning Grants
Delaware county and municipal governments, conservation districts and estuary programs can now submit proposals to DNREC to receive matching grants for their surface water project planning. Proposals must be received by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18th. Eligible projects include: Planning, preliminary engineering and feasibility analysis of surface water projects; stormwater retrofits; Green technology practices; Stream…
Read MoreNew Year’s Day First Day Hikes on Delmarva
Start the New Year off with First Day Hikes on January 1st. There are multiple locations where you can take a First Day Hike in both Delaware and Maryland – most hikes average 1 to 2.5 miles. You have your choice of self-guided hikes or ranger-led hikes. This is part of a nationwide initiative led…
Read MoreWhat to Recycle & What NOT to Recycle and Disposing of Live Christmas Trees
After your mountain of presents become a mountain of paper, ribbon and boxes – what do you do with all that waste? Some of it can go into your recycle bin – but not all of it. You can recycle wrapping paper, cards, envelopes, paper gift bags, cardboard boxes and paper gift boxes. You can…
Read MoreDNREC Urges Safe Handling of Wild Birds as Wildfowl Hunting Seasons Open
Waterfowl hunting season is reopening and DNREC officials remind hunters that safe handling of wild birds is imperative after the recent detection of avian influenza in a sick snow good that was found in eastern Kent County on December 8th and confirmed by the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Lab on Monday. The final segment of…
Read MoreDNREC Names New Leaders to Delaware State Parks
There are several new leaders to Delaware State Parks. DNREC officials announced these recent appointments which include Jayce Madden as inland ponds regional administrator, Chris Pauley – superintendent of Delaware Seashore State Park and Lindsey Goebel – superintendent of Trap Pond State Park. Additional information from DNREC: Jayce Madden was promoted to inland ponds regional administrator…
Read MoreDNREC Demands Delaware City Refinery Install New Fenceline Air Sensors After November Release
DNREC has issued an order demanding the Delaware City Refining Company to quickly install fenceline sensors at the refinery. This comes after the facility revealed that a recent release of butane and related compounds was significantly more extensive that initially reported in November. The release through the Delaware Environmental Release Notification System was reported as…
Read MoreAuction for DNREC Low-Digit Surf Fishing Tags Begins Tues, Nov 25
DNREC will kick off the 75th Anniversary celebration of Delaware State Parks in 2026 with the annual low-digit surf fishing plate auction – which begins on Tuesday at 9am at usgovbid.com. Get your bid in by Thursday, December 11th to support efforts to preserve the state’s natural and historic resources – and maintain popular recreational opportunities. There…
Read MoreGround Breaking for New Cypress Splash Zone at Trap Pond State Park
State and local officials joined DNREC and the Division of Parks and Recreation for the ground breaking for a new Cypress Splash Zone at Trap Pond State Park. This will offer a place on the western side of the county were children and families can gather and cool off on hot summer days. The 5000-square…
Read MoreDNREC Sets New Daily Recreational Possession Limit on Spot
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is working to restore the Spot Fish stock. DNREC, by order of the Secretary, has established a daily recreational possession limit of 50 spot fish. This action was taken to keep Delaware in compliance with the ASMFC’s Addendum III to the Omnibus Amendment for Spot fish, spotted seatrout…
Read MoreDelaware Coastal Cleanup Removes Over 5100 Pounds of Trash from Shorelines & Waterways
The 38th Annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup was Saturday, September 13th at 45 sites along the Delaware shorelines, wetlands and waterways. Over 950 volunteers took part and collected over 5100 pounds of trash – with cigarette butts, food wrappers and bottle caps at the top of the list. Volunteers also found larger items – including a…
Read MoreDNREC Proposing Changes to Delaware State Parks’ Fees; Open Houses Coming Up
DNREC is proposing changes to Delaware State Parks’ entrance, annual, and lifetime pass fees, which have not been updated since 2015, to ensure the parks’ sustainability. You are invited to attend open houses to review the proposed fee schedule, along with visitation, cost, and revenue data, and provide feedback; the Sussex County meeting is scheduled…
Read MoreOpen Burning Season in Delaware Opens October 1st
Open burning in Delaware can resume on October 1st as the Ozone Season comes to an end. The burning ban as been in place since the end of April. However remember when you burn cut or fallen limbs, dead branches or shrubbery – you are limited to a maximum of 27 cubic feet of yard…
Read MoreConstruction on Thompson Island Living Shoreline Project Underway
DNREC and the Center for Inland Bays have begun construction on the Thompson Island Living Shoreline Project. This project includes about 400 wave attenuation devices designed to protect the island’s shoreline and enhance the surrounding aquatic environment. These will be placed from a barge and anchored in the shallow waters just offshore in an effort…
Read MoreAerial Mosquito Spraying Tonight in Prime Hook & Broadkill Beach Areas
Weather permitting; the Delaware Mosquito Control Section plans the following insecticide application during the evening hours on Monday, September 8, 2025: Application of Trumpet EC (naled) with an airplane (registration numbers N5552A) to control adult mosquitoes in the following areas: Near Milford and Lewes (Prime Hook and Broadkill Beaches). For notification purposes, spraying will be done in the following spray…
Read MoreASMFC to Hold Hybrid Hearing in Delaware Sept. 18 on Striped Bass Management Plan
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a hybrid public hearing on Thursday, September 18 to gather public input on the Draft Addendum 3 to Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Striped Bass Interstate Fishery Management Plan. The plan is intended to increase the probability of rebuilding stock to the target level by 2029 by…
Read MoreFederal, State and Local Officials Tour Indian River Inlet & Beach Projects
Federal, state and local officials visited the Indian River Inlet Friday to get an update on the work being done to protect the coastline. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson and officials from the US Army Corps of Engineers led the tour of the restoration projects along the bridge and beaches at the inlet. On the south…
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