Working
on the Stormwater Problem in the Appoquinimink
 
The Delaware
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
along with the Delaware Department
of Transportation, New
Castle County, the Town
of Middletown, and the Appoquinimink
River Association, are partnering on an important stormwater
modeling project for the Appoquinimink
Watershed. This stormwater modeling project will address current
and projected stormwater runoff issues that the Appoquinimink
area faces and will make suggestions for better stormwater runoff
management. The overall goal of the project is to use computer
models to develop a Watershed Management Plan that discusses how
to maintain or improve water quality and habitat, maintain or
increase water filtration into the ground, reduce stream erosion
and manage flooding events throughout the watershed.
If your community is interested in the project or
is having issues with stormwater and would like to address these
issues with project partners, fill out our "Contact
Us" section on this website. By sharing your concerns
with us, your community will enable the project to be more successful
in addressing your community's stormwater runoff concerns.
 What
is stormwater?
Stormwater is the water that flows over the land and various
surfaces (like roads, driveways, roofs, and even bare soils) that
is not able to be absorbed into the ground. The water will eventually
flow directly into nearbystreams or into stormwater drains that
lead directly to streams. (That's right, the water enters the
streams untreated!).
How does stormwater affect my community?
Stormwater flow can lead to flooding issues because there is more
water traveling over paved surfaces than there would be if the
water would travel and be absorbed into natural surfaces. Since
there will be a larger and faster amount of water flowing toward
one area, the end result is increased flooding.
However, flooding is not the only water issue that
increased
amounts of stormwater  create.
The increased volume of
water flowing into local streams during a rain storm can cause
stream bank erosion and the stormwater itself can carry water
pollutants with it. Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, oils,
sediments, and other pollutants collect on roads, soils, and driveways
until they are washed away by runoff and flow into streams or
stormwater runoff drains.
What else can I do to make
a difference?
 Here
are a few things that you can encourage your fellow community
members to do in their own back yards:
- Aim downspouts onto grassy areas of your yard, not on driveways
or walkways. This allows the ground to absorb the water instead
of having the water flow into storm drains.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off sidewalks.
- Use rain barrels which collect rain from your downspouts
for outdoor watering needs.
- Do not discard or dump any trash, oil, leaves, or chemicals
into storm drains. Storm drains lead directly into our waterways.
- Plant a rain garden. Rain gardens contain native plant species
that retain stormwater runoff and allow the water to soak
back into the ground at a natural rate.
What has been done so far
in the Appoquinimink Stormwater
Modeling Project ?
- Data has been collected by consultants to aid the preparation
of a management plan for the Appoquinimink watershed.
- This data was used to create many maps including those that
show current stormwater facilities, floodplains, wetlands,
existing and future land cover, soils, and aerial photographs
of the watershed.
- A report has been begun that details all the tasks involved
in the stormwater modeling project.
- Citizen, municipal and county input has been solicited to
pinpoint areas of concern throughout the watershed.
Keep checking back to see what is happening with
the modeling project!
For more information on stormwater
for parents and kids, check out the following links:
www.nccde.org/ncc-swnpdes/images/FYI.pdf
www.nccde.org/ncc-swnpdes/images/bookmark.pdf
www.nccde.org/ncc-swnpdes/images/ActivityBook.pdf
www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwatermonth
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/
All partners on this project
do a great deal to protect our waterways.
For more information on what they do check out the following links:
www.swc.dnrec.delaware.gov/SedimentStormwater.htm
www.apporiver.org
www.nccde.org/ncc-swnpdes/index2.html
www.middletownde.org
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