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March 13, 2010; Long & Foster; Agenda / Draft Budget Password request |
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Area Surface Water Runoff
into South Bethany's Anchorage Canal Basin |
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| The Center for Inland Bays is working with representatives from Middlesex Beach, Sea Colony, South Bethany and DelDOT to learn about the paths traveled by surface water runoff on its way to the Anchorage Street Basin, which is part of the South Bethany canal system. Currently, after heavy rains, this water carries substantial sediment into the Basin. In our community, most surface water from the beach side, and from the commercial properties makes its way to the storm drains that run along Coastal Highway (DE Rt. 1). Individual MBA property owners will NOT be required to take any specific steps as a result of the findings from this tour. | |
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Due to statewide budget cuts, the anticipated DNREC implementation funding would not be available. However, the Center for Inland Bays hopes to be able to apply for a different grant. The assessment tour will still take place either August 19 or August 26. An organizational meeting hosted by the Center for Inland Bays was held in late May relating to area plans to improve the quality of storm water runoff that enters South Bethany canals at Anchorage Drive immediately south of Middlesex. This runoff comes from commercial parking lots and oceanside residences in Middlesex, in addition to Sea Colony’s parking lots and DE route 1. Portions of Middlesex which could be targeted for improvement include the areas between the west end of each oceanside street and the surface drains along the shoulder of Route 1. An assessment will be done in August 2009, with a report to be issued by the end of the calendar year. The initial plan was to hold area meetings at the time the report was to be issued. It was suggested that any area meetings on this topic be held in spring 2010 when more area residents could atttend. There will be no monetary cost to the community, and the Center for Inland Bays is expected to be able to obtain a grant from DNREC for initial implementation. In order to qualify for implementation funds, MBA drafted a letter committing representatives to attending three meetings of about 3 hours each. South Bethany has been working to cleanup their canal's water quality. On February 21, I attended a meeting about their Anchorage Street Canal Basin, which is right off Route 1 just south of Evergreen Rd. The meeting was hosted by South Bethany councilman Jay Headman (who has done much of their work on flushing out canals, tidal pumps, etc) and the Center for Inland Bay's Chris Bason (whom I have talked with several times on the phone, but never met in person). He also mentioned issues SB has taken themselves to reduce the surface water runoff into the canals from their own properties (details forthcoming). Also in attendance: 2 individuals from Sea Colony (Patrick Davis, GM of Sea Colony Rec Assn, and Property Owner John Gilbert) and Bethany's Building Inspector John Eckridge (who also acts as their #2 man on an infinite variety of things). Nothing definite being proposed right now, but merely introducing the parties to each other. Grants from Army Corps and DelDOT are being used for the study (I heard the figure $70,000, which is being split between Feds and DE). Mostly, they're trying to improve the water quality of the phenomenal amount of surface water runoff that gets to the Anchorage Rd Basin (immediately adjacent Rt. 1) and/or slowing it down. Much of the runoff comes from Sea Colony parking lots, and from the highway. A significant portion from Middlesex commercial properties and oceanside residential properties (our pineside drainage goes into the Assawoman Canal by way of adjacent wetlands). They're worried about both the speed at which rainwater gets into the canal (too fast), and also the sediment and nutrients that are washed with it. Some discussion of appropriate use of landscaping in highway medians to slow down runoff from getting straight into the drains in the median (I note that Chris Bason's wife owns a landscaping firm that did the landscaping in SB's median several years ago). Also some discussion of other area landscaping that would assist in this (my immediate thought is that our oceanside residential runoff could be slowed down by appropriate landscaping in the vicinity of highway gates, in addition to landscaping on individual properties). Some discussion that DelDOT is moving towards "natural landscaping" in medians vs. mowing grass every month. Both for budgetary reasons, and they used to get complaints (statewide) if the medians weren't cut, but were now getting complaints that this wasn't good from an environmental standpoint. Next meeting: early spring. Assignment until then: talk it up in the community... |