INLAND BAYS MONITORING PROGRAM

Delaware’s Inland Bays and their tributaries cover 34 square miles in southeastern Delaware and drain a 255 square mile watershed rich in agriculture and coastal tourism.

The Inland Bays suffer from too much of what we usually view as a good thing – nutrients. Nutrient over enrichment – or eutrophication – is the result of too much nitrogen and phosphorus entering the bays.

At assigned monitoring sites throughout the watershed, our citizen monitors collect important data including dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentrations, water clarity, bacteria levels, and other environmental data.

The wealth of information that is collected is stored in a database at the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment in Lewes for access by potential users. Water quality reports – which include up-to-date summaries of water quality data – are provided on a semi-monthly basis through the summer months.

Below is the location of the Inland Bays. Click on image for a more detailed area view.