LEWES, Del. - The Lewes Environmental Subcommittee met recently to discuss how the city's ordinance to protect wetlands could be improved as development persists near them.
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays made recommendations to the subcommittee including: differentiating between types of wetlands, mandating a wider buffer between construction and wetlands, and adding more native vegetation.
"The developers need to be part of that discussion, figure out how to do it the right way, but make sure you do it so that these incredibly important places to all of us persist because otherwise they will disappear. And we're very afraid of that and are working hard to make sure that doesn't." said Christophe Tulou, Executive Director for the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays.
Tulou said this update to the ordinance comes at a critical time. Delaware is the only state in the mid-Atlantic region that doesn't have state based protections for wetlands as part of a recent federal change.
People who live in Lewes have seen just how bad flooding can get in the city and can only imagine how much worse it would be without wetlands to absorb the extra water.
"Just living on the beach firsthand. Those storms, when they come in, they hit Delaware state parks first and we just see like torrential downpours." said Zach Graboyes.
The Lewes Environmental Subcommittee will meet again on Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. to continue discussing wetland buffers.