Inland Bays Foundation President Doug Parham announced he has sent Dave Small, DNREC Secretary a letter requesting the establishment of a Municipal Separate Sormwater System (MS4) and Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDLs) be established for the 125 acre catchment area adjacent to the Anchorage Canal in South Bethany known as the DELDOT Anchorage discharge. Shown below is a photo of the Del Dot Forebay in South Bethany. This is in response to requests by residents of the South Bethany Township who suffer under the growing load of enterococcus bacteria and other forms of pollution impacting their properties and subsequently flowing into our Inland Bays estuary- (Little Assowan Bay and the canal connecting to Indian River Bay). The Foundation recognizes and applauds the previous efforts of local citizens, DNREC and the Center for the Inland Bays to remediate the area. The Foundation suggests it is time to ramp up the effort a notch and provide true relief for the residents of South Bethany and the attached waters of Little Assawoman Bay.
The Del Dot Anchorage catchment area discharge drains storm water from a 125 acre (mostly impervious surfaces) catchment area (in Bethany Beach) into the Anchorage canal in South Bethany. From this location it eventually flows into the Little Assawoman Bay and canal to Indian River Bay. This flow contains oxygen demanding organic compounds, nutrients, toxics, and pathogenic microorganisms. It also contains wet and dry pollutants including atmospheric deposition, street refuse, vegetation, motor vehicle emissions and eroded soil. Safe full body immersion standards indicate 104 colonies of enterococcus bacteria per milliliter. These waters regularly exceed that level multiples of ten- making full body immersion risky to humans and life threatening to pets.