As part of a project repairing and installing channel markers in the Inland Bays, the Delaware Department of Natural Resouces and Environmental Control has announced it is removing the floating channel markers from Baker’s Channel and will not be replace them.

More than half of the floating markers within the channel were lost following this winter’s storms, said Josh Lippert, DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section administrator. Many of the remaining markers were knocked off station and no longer accurately reflect navigable conditions, creating a potential navigation concern for boaters, he said.

Connecting Rehoboth and Indian River bays, Baker’s Channel is located along the eastern side of an island called Lynch’s Thicket. It’s an area of the bay known for sandbars, but the channel has been marked through a partnership with the Center for the Inland Bays since 2011 and was done to help alleviate congestion in Massey's Ditch. The ditch is on the western side of the island and is where Massey's Landing is located at the end of Long Neck Road. However, Baker's Channel was never formally established as a state-maintained navigational channel.

Lippert said a review determined the partnership arrangement with the center is no longer in force, and no active agreement governing ongoing maintenance responsibilities could be identified. Massey’s Ditch remains the recognized and actively maintained state navigation route for the area, he said.

While DNREC recognizes the continued increase in boating activity throughout the Inland Bays, Massey’s Ditch continues to remain the state’s primary maintained navigation channel in this area and remains the priority for ongoing maintenance and dredging resources, said Lippert, comparing Baker's Channel to the state's roadway system.

"Some roads are owned and maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation, while others are private roads, or maintained by municipalities or homeowner associations," said Lippert. "Similarly, the state maintains priority navigational channels such as Massey’s Ditch, while other waterways may exist and be used by boaters, but are not formally maintained by the state."

The larger issue with Baker’s Channel is the long-term maintenance associated with floating buoys, said Lippert. Coastal storms and shifting shoals can move markers off station, requiring additional survey work, vessel time, and staffing resources to routinely inspect, reposition, and maintain the aids to navigation, he said.

Baker’s Channel was named in honor of Capt. Bill Baker, a member of the Inland Bays Water Use Plan Implementation Committee that worked with the state on marking the channel. He also owned a bait and tackle shop in Lewes.

Additional channel marker maintenance

DNREC announced its plans for Baker’s Channel as part of a press release May 19, saying it had recently started a channel-marking project.

This winter’s snow and ice storms were particularly impactful to channel markers throughout the Inland Bays, as freeze-thaw cycles and ice movement caused some markers to be knocked off station or lost completely, said Lippert.

Not including the removal of the markers from Baker’s Channel, the project involves 44 Inland Bays channel markers – the installation of nine channel markers in Lower Indian River, the installation of seven channel markers in Roy Creek, the replacement of six channel markers in Whites Creek, the replacement of 12 channel markers in Beach Cove and the relocation/installation of 10 channel markers in The Ditch.

DNREC performs channel-marking work annually as part of its ongoing waterway management program, which maintains nearly 200 channel markers statewide, said Lippert. The current effort represents one of the more substantial channel maintenance and relocation initiatives in recent years for the Inland Bays because of the number of waterways requiring attention simultaneously, he said.

The press release said most of the work was expected to be completed by Memorial Day, with some minor items remaining. However, it doesn’t appear work is moving as fast as originally expected.

The current timeline remains weather-dependent, and forecast high winds this week are making channel-marking operations more challenging and could impact scheduling, said Lippert.

As for the timing of the project – the week before the beginning of the summer season – Lippert said channel-marking work is typically conducted during the spring preseason maintenance window. However, this year’s work required coordination of staffing, equipment, surveys, weather conditions and prioritization across multiple waterways simultaneously.

“Staffing challenges and the significant winter storm, snow and ice damage sustained by numerous channel markers this year increased the overall amount of channel-marking work required throughout the Inland Bays system,” said Lippert.

For up-to-date channel conditions, Lippert said DNREC issues Notices to Mariners regarding navigation concerns and works closely with DNREC Natural Resources Police to communicate changing channel conditions and promote boating safety throughout the Inland Bays.