National Estuary Program
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Estuary Program was established by Congress in 1987 to improve the quality of estuaries of national importance. The Clean Water Act Section 320 directs EPA to develop plans for attaining or maintaining water quality in an estuary. This includes protection of public water supplies and the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish, and wildlife, and allows recreational activities, in and on water, requires that control of point and nonpoint sources of pollution to supplement existing controls of pollution.
There are 28 programs that are part of the National Estuary Program. Each program establishes a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Delaware’s Inland Bays (CCMP) to meet the goals of Section 320.
In addition to water quality improvements, habitat restoration and protection is one of the major focuses of the National Estuary Program. View NEP goals and plans, as well as learn about habitat loss and degradation, and its contributing factors.
Local NEP Project information is available including maps, project descriptions, and photos.
NEPs are effective, efficient, collaborative, and adaptive community-based programs. To find out more, see the vibrant NEP booklet below. To order free copies of this publication, simply call 800-490-9198 and request the EPA document number provided.
Did You Know
DID YOU KNOW?
Blue crabs have the ability to sacrifice limbs (called autotomy) in order to avoid capture. Missing limbs are regrown by a process called regeneration.
Take Action
TAKE ACTION
So Many Ways to Help the Bays
You’re Invited!
YOU'RE INVITED!
Join us for these upcoming events.
- Millsboro Rain Garden Planting and Workshop
10:00 am - May 21, 2013 - STAC Meeting
9:00 am - June 7, 2013 - 9th Annual Inland Bays Clean Up
9:00 am - June 8, 2013 - 1st Annual Rock & Row Recycling Regatta
2:00 pm - June 13, 2013 - Bethany Beach Nature Center
N/A - June 16, 2013 -
