DNREC launches new online tool to help landowners locate wetlands

DNREC's Wetland Monitoring & Assessment Program has announced the launch of the Delaware Freshwater Wetland Toolbox, a new online tool that aids Delaware landowners in locating wetlands that may exist on their property.

"Delaware is rich in wetlands - no matter where you stand in the state you're probably no more than a mile away from a wetland," said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. "Identifying and conserving these natural wetland resources is key to protecting the important functions wetlands provide, and technology such as the new online tool can make such information more readily available to us."

The Freshwater Wetland Toolbox allows landowners to scroll through six wetland "hot topics" including: Wetland Mapping Viewer, Identify Wetlands, Benefits, Tidal vs. Non-Tidal, Help Wetlands, Get Your Free Gift and Contacts. The first stop on the site, Mapped Wetlands, allows users to input an address into a map viewer and zoom into the specified location to see if wetlands may be present.

In addition to the interactive map, landowners can find key identifying features of wetlands using the checklist Discovering Wetlands. The checklist can be carried outdoors to help find signs of wetlands in a landscape. Meanwhile, landowners are reminded that the map and checklist only summarize wetlands, as DNREC encourages the hiring of a professional to perform actual wetland delineations.

Landowners also can sign up on the website to make the Wetland Protection Promise and receive a free Delaware Wetlands gift by pledging to do three simple tasks in their daily lives. Tasks listed include choosing to landscape with native plants, disposing of trash in the proper locations, avoiding building on wetland areas, and volunteering for an annual cleanup or planting event.

Also available to landowners with a wetland area on their property is a free wetland health check by DNREC's Wetland Monitoring & Assessment Program staff, who will point out what might be stressing to wetlands on the property and how to make them healthier.

To use the new online tool, click on Delaware Freshwater Wetland Toolbox. For more information, contact DNREC's Wetland Monitoring & Assessment Program within the Division of Watershed Stewardship at 302-739-9939.