This project is a cooperative initiative carried out by the Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration Task Force to revitalize the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) population in Delaware Bay. With congressional support and federal funding, the task force coordinated the planting of more than 280,000 bushels of ocean quahog, surf clam and Maryland oyster shells spread over 150 acres in 2005.

Thin-layer placement of dredged material was used in Pepper Creek, Delaware to restore tidal marsh located adjacent to a marina. This project aimed to mitigate effects of subsidence and sea-level rise. Placement was conducted in winter to minimize impacts on fish communities. The marsh successfully gained elevation and revegetated after placement. 

Tidal marsh at the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware has been degraded by impounded freshwater drowning out marsh plants, as well as salt water intrusion from storm events. To reduce impounded water and restore functioning salt marshes, 30 miles of channels were dredged across 4,000 acres of tidal marsh.  

Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge, located on Delaware Bay’s Western shore, was severely degraded due to sea-level rise, storms, and anthropogenic pressures. These issues led to over 1,600 hectares of freshwater marsh and 240 hectares of riparian forest impacted or lost. This project restored habitat, nourished shorelines, and increased resiliency of the refuge.