In 2012, DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Phragmites Control Program treated more than 6,700 acres statewide by helicopter with two EPA-approved aquatic herbicides.
The acres treated include 5,720 acres in the Delaware Bayshore Initiative project area between Delaware City and Cape Henlopen.
Phragmites is a non-native, fast-growing, extremely hardy invasive species. Its extensive root system can extend down as deep as 3 feet and spread out more than 30 feet in a single year.
The tall reed with its familiar feathery seedhead has taken over large areas of Delaware wetlands, displacing native plants that provide better food and cover for wildlife.
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