Haines Tax Ditch Restoration Site

The goal of this project is to determine the ability of restored wetlands to assimilate nutrients from agricultural runoff before they enter downstream waters. These small constructed/restored wetlands systems have been incorporated into the agricultural landscape with the hopes of reducing nutrient and sediment inputs into the Delaware stream system. It is hypothesized that these small systems, placed in multiple agricultural settings will provide a significant level of nutrient and sediment reduction. Data will be collected from a sub-sample of approximately 200 restored/constructed wetlands completed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) in recent years. These wetland systems have been constructed as low-cost, environmentally friendly Best Management Practices (BMPs) in many agricultural watershed settings in Delaware with the end goal of reducing nutrients and sediments entering the Delaware stream systems, while additionally providing high quality, restored wetland habitat. Current theory is wetland systems will provide effective nutrient and sediment control, but only if they are done on a large-scale basis. The use of these multiple, small wetlands placed in many smal