Georgetown wetland project planned to help protect Inland Bays

A new stormwater treatment project in Georgetown will include construction of a submerged gravel wetland near Old Park Avenue and Springfield Lane, with work expected to continue through April 2027. (Photo courtesy of The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays.)

A new stormwater treatment project is planned for Georgetown that officials say could help reduce pollution flowing into Delaware’s Inland Bays.

The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays announced plans to construct a submerged gravel wetland on county-owned land near the intersection of Old Park Avenue and Springfield Lane. Work is expected to continue through April 2027.

The project is designed to address a growing issue across Sussex County, where development has replaced farmland and forests with roads, rooftops and other hard surfaces that speed up stormwater runoff. That runoff can carry nitrogen, sediment and other pollutants into nearby waterways, including Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay and Little Assawoman Bay.

Officials say increased development can significantly raise the amount of nitrogen entering waterways, contributing to murkier water and declining habitat for fish and other aquatic life.

The planned wetland system is designed to slow down and filter stormwater before it leaves the site. Known as a submerged gravel wetland, the system uses layers of gravel and naturally occurring microbes to remove pollutants through a combination of filtration and biological processes.

“Sussex County has a long and proud track record working with the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, and it is projects like this that are a continuation of that partnership to improve the environment and well-being of those living here and visiting Sussex County,” said Sussex County Administrator Todd F. Lawson. “By making this small investment of time and effort today, it means reduced runoff, cleaner waterways, and a healthier environment for tomorrow.”

The project is estimated to cost $485,000 and is funded through a combination of federal and state sources, including an Environmental Protection Agency appropriation supported by Chris Coons, as well as grants through the Clean Water Act and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Once complete, officials say the system will help improve water quality in the surrounding watershed by reducing the amount of nutrients and sediment entering local streams and bays.