BROADKILL RIVER MONITORING PROGRAM

With Milton at its hub and bordered by Lewes, Georgetown, Ellendale and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, the Broadkill River watershed and its streams, freshwater wetlands, saltwater marshes and estuary are under increasing pressure from the impact of human activity and development. Nutrients, suspended solids, bacteria and other pollutants enter the river and tributaries degrading water quality, the habitat, and the aquatic life it sustains.

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 Broadkill River. Click on the image for a more detailed area view.