The Inland Bays Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is a standing committee of the Center for the Inland Bays.

The purpose of the CAC is to bring to the CIB's Board of Directors issues of public concern related to protection of the Inland Bays. The CAC meets quarterly in an open forum that allows for attendance of interested parties and provides an opportunity for comment. Interested and concerned citizens are encouraged to attend these public meetings.

The CAC has two subcommittees:
The Outreach Committee works with the Education and Outreach Coordinator to identify opportunities for the CAC to take the CIB message to citizens and visitors to the watershed.
The Public Policy Committee works to research and develop recommendations on policy issues affecting the Inland Bays and its watershed.

Commentary to the Press from CAC Leadership

Not until I became chair of the South Bethany Planning Commission in 2004 and co-author of its Comprehensive Plan did I take an introspective interest in water quality in the Inland Bays.

Of course, we had algae blooms, but my main interest was in how to remove them, and not in what caused them to occur.
But, the more that I learned about the condition of our Inland Bays, the more concerned I became about their future.

I believe that if other citizens become aware of the facts, that citizens in Sussex County will demand better public policy to protect water quality in the Inland Bays because this is not just an environmental issue, it is an economic issue and a public health issue as well.

A healthy environment is critical to our quality of life in the Inland Bays watershed so that it continues to be a desirable and healthy place to live and vacation.
These are facts that all citizens should know:
• Our Bays are not “fishable or swimmable” under EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines;
• All of the Inland Bays are on the state 303D list of “impaired waters;”
• The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control ( DNREC) warns visitors to state parks and wildlife areas located on the Bays that “Waters of the Inland Bays may contain organisms that could be harmful to your health. Swimming could result in an increased risk of rashes, infections or gastrointestinal distress; especially during and after rainfall;”
• Only 29% of the streams that empty into the Inland Bays fully support aquatic life;
• The waters of the Inland Bays are highly enriched with nitrogen and phosphorous;
• The primary activities causing a eutrophic (low oxygen) condition in the Inland Bays are agriculture and urbanization;
• The Sussex County population increased 56% between 1990 and 2005, not including approximately 37,000 homeowners who live in other states;
• Most of that growth has been concentrated near already congested communities; Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island;
• Growth will put people and buildings closer to sensitive natural areas increasing the potential for their degradation;
• Developed areas with a high percentage of impervious surfaces contribute to significant pollution loads in waterways.;
• Sussex County records show that through 2006, a total of 26,233 residential lots have been approved and recorded, but not yet developed;
• Promulgation of the Inland Bays Pollution Control Strategy has repeatedly been delayed;

In the upcoming months, DNREC will again attempt to promulgate a “Pollution Control Strategy” and Sussex County will seek state approval of its 2007 Update of the Sussex County Comprehensive Plan which is mandated under Delaware law. Once approved, these two critical pieces of public policy for protecting our Inland Bays, will not be re-visited for ten and five years respectively.

So, if you love the Inland Bays as I do, here is what I am asking you to do:
1. Call your Representative, State Senator, and your County Commissioners and tell them you want the Inland Bays to be “fishable and swimmable” again and that they should make this objective a key element of their mission.
2. Call the DE Center for the Inland Bays at (302) 226 8105 and ask for an application to become a member of the CIB’s Citizens’ Advisory Committee, or print out an application from our website and send it to the Center for the Inland Bays, 39375 Inlet Road, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971