Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

by Amy Barra

On behalf of the Clean Water: Delaware’s Clear Choice campaign, the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays would like to thank Governor John Carney and Delaware State Legislature for their efforts that secured $10 million for open space preservation, $10 million for farmland preservation, and $10 million for investments for clean water in Delaware’s budget for fiscal year 2019!

Providing funding for clean water may help Delawareans avoid a water related state of emergency, like the one that Florida is experiencing right now. Seven counties in Florida are suffering from toxic algae outbreaks, which negatively impact the water quality. Growing up, I regularly visited two of these impacted counties, as both sets of grandparents had resettled in Florida for it’s warmer climate and abundance of water. I remember looking forward to paddling through the waters of the estuary, or visiting their boats docked along the canals, but if I were to visit today these areas would be choked with mats of toxic algae.This is a fate that I hope Delaware can avoid by being proactive about the water quality.  

The $10 million for clean water in the Bond bill may be a drop in the bucket when compared to the annual deficit of $100 million needed to address our water quality needs. But it is a step in the right direction, and it is my hope is that this funding will inspire further action to secure dedicated funding for clean water projects.