After the city of Wilmington removed a Brandywine dam in 2019, University of Delaware scientists discovered American shad returning to the area to reproduce. One fish the researchers tracked even made its way to Nova Scotia, Canada, and back, said assistant professor Ed Hale, who helped lead the research.
“[Dams interrupt] normal behaviors associated with animals and organismal level behaviors, but also with the flow of energy,” Hale said. “It’s really pretty cool that the year after we remove a dam, [we] actually see that natural function.”
In addition to improving fish passage, scientists say dam removal is sometimes necessary to reduce the impacts of storm flooding.
Removing dams that are damaged or falling apart is the top priority, said the University of Delaware’s Gerald Kauffman, who has researched the Brandywine dams for 20 years. Unlike neighboring states, Delaware law does not require regular inspection of smaller dams, said Kauffman, who directs the university’s Water Resources Center.
One of the Brandywine River dams approved for removal is marred with a 10-by-30 foot hole. If it breaks during a major storm, an estimated 75 million gallons of water could topple downstream, Kauffman said. The researcher and professor said he’s particularly concerned about residents in northeast Wilmington — many of whom have yet to return to their homes after being flooded by Hurricane Ida in 2021.
“[Ida] was a lesson to me that we need to address [dams] now. Otherwise when the next [storm] comes down, it could be a catastrophe,” Kauffman said.
Intact dams built before the 1980s also have potential to lift already-rising water levels upstream during storms, he said, depending on a number of factors.
The dam behind Brandywine Falls appears to be in healthy condition, Kauffman said, which could mean the Army Corps of Engineers recommends stakeholders preserve it.
Brandywine Falls’ Ursomato said he would like agencies to focus on other flood-reducing infrastructure efforts instead of dam removal.
“Let’s assume you took all the dams out of the river, and the river still flooded … that would be a tragedy,” he said.
Brandywine Falls residents say they’re not against fish passage efforts, but are fearful they might lose a piece of Delaware history.
The dam is a remnant of Joseph Bancroft, a businessman who established a cotton mill in the area in the 19th century, taking advantage of the Brandywine’s water power.
Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co. is considered to be the most significant and longest lasting textiles company on the Lower Brandywine, according to University of Delaware historians. By the early 20th century, it became one of the world’s largest textile finishers, introducing synthetic materials to the market. Bancroft Mills is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and may also include the dam behind Brandywine Falls.
“I feel very impassioned about the history of the area, the famous families in this area,” said Brandywine Falls resident Jim Carrington.
Bancroft Mills is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the dam behind Brandywine Falls is considered a “contributing element” of the historic district. The dam is eligible for an individual listing under the registry, but hasn’t been nominated, according to the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.
A national register listing does not preclude a dam from removal. However, agencies involved, such as the Army Corps of Engineers are required to consult state historians and other stakeholders to determine whether the dam should be preserved due to its historical significance. If they decide a dam should remain, alternatives such as a partial removal, or a rock ramp, can be considered.
In addition to evaluating the structural condition of the dam behind Brandywine Falls, the Army Corps of Engineers will also consider its historical significance, and other fish passage options.
Hagley Museum and Library owns four dams on the Brandywine that were previously operated by the DuPonts. The famous family located their gunpowder mills along the river to take advantage of water power. The museum’s leaders have not granted permission for dam removal because they’re pursuing a historical designation for them.
“The predominant use of the powder here at Hagley was used for things like westward expansion … and so it’s a really important chapter in the history of our country,” said Jill McKenzie, the museum’s executive director.
Hagley continues to use water power to this day to keep the museum’s 1870s machine shop off the electrical grid.
The museum is partnering with the Army Corps of Engineers to determine an alternative way to improve fish passage without removing the dams, such as potentially installing a rock ladder.
David Keller, head of the fisheries section at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University, said dam removal is sometimes the most effective way to improve fish passage. However, stakeholders must also evaluate potential risks, he said.
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This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Delaware Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long has contradicted a new state Department of Elections report that found she and her husband were paid $33,000 more than they reportedly loaned her campaigns; however, her two opponents in the Democratic gubernatorial primary on Friday said that the report shows she’s corrupt and unfit for state government’s highest office.
The report and related documents that were released late Thursday — including copies of canceled checks — concluded that Hall-Long’s political campaigns repeatedly violated state law from 2016 to 2023 by not disclosing nearly $298,000 in payments to her husband Dana, who had been her campaign treasurer, or reporting $266,000 in loans to the campaign.
Hall-Long is embroiled in a three-way primary race with New Castle County executive Matt Meyer and former state environmental chief Collin O’Mara. The election is Sept. 10 — less than seven weeks away.
Despite the harsh report, state elections commissioner Anthony Albence, whose office had hired former Philadelphia FBI chief Jeffrey Lampinski to investigate the matter, told Hall-Long in writing that he was not referring the findings to Attorney General Kathy Jennings for possible criminal prosecution. Jennings said she concurred and pledged to work toward strengthening election laws so that similar issues don’t arise in the future.
Jennings issued a written statement that said if charges were brought, a defense attorney “could credibly attribute the committee’s errors to carelessness. We cannot pursue charges where the law does not provide the standards to do so; but neither should we abide a precedent that flouts the spirit of the law when committees demonstrate negligence.”
Hall-Long received the report last week and had urged Albence in writing not to release the investigatory files, arguing they were not public documents, “until such time as we can discuss our concerns with you.” Albence responded in an email that he did “not intend to publicly post or release” the report unless a public records request was made.
WHYY News made a Freedom of Information Act request last Tuesday for the files upon learning that the report had been completed after a six-month investigation, and Albence’s office released it late Thursday afternoon, nine days later. Sources have said Jennings had prodded Albence to make the report public.
Albence had not responded to requests for interviews about Hall-Long’s campaign finances since issues arose publicly last fall following a revolt within her campaign over more than $200,000 in unreported payments to Dana Long. Albence similarly has not made any comment since the report’s release.
Hall-Long would not agree to an interview about the report, but continued her practice of releasing written statements about the controversy, as she has over the last nine months.
The statement Hall-Long released late Thursday night reiterated that she “voluntarily disclosed discrepancies with previous campaign finance reports” in the fall and since then has cooperated with Albence’s office “on a confidential process to amend previous campaign finance reports.”
Hall-Long’s statement added that she will always “address any bookkeeping discrepancies head on” and noted that “none of this will be referred to the attorney general.”
In November, Hall-Long amended seven years of campaign reports to disclose $308,000 in loans and $207,000 in repayments to herself — not her husband. Her 2023 report, filed in January, forgave what the campaign said was an unpaid loan balance of more than $100,000.
She added that “contrary to the Lampinski preliminary report, our family has loaned the campaign more money than we have been reimbursed and we have forgiven that remaining loan balance.”
Lampinski’s report said that based on the bank records, finance reports and documents provided by Dana Long and the campaign, “I cannot account for the difference in their public reporting and my findings.”
Hall-Long’s categorization of Lampinski’s report as “preliminary” stands in contrast, however, to what Albence informed her Tuesday about the 16-page document.
“Please be advised that the report, dated and issued to me on July 13, 2024, by Mr. Lampinski, is his final report, not a draft. … this final version of the report is not subject to change,” Albence wrote in an email, adding that her attorney could feel free to respond to him.
In light of Lampinski’s findings, Albence also directed Hall-Long to further amend her reports to “to ensure all committee transactions … are accurately and fully reported.”
Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department of Commerce and NOAA have recommended $1.97 million for a project including Delaware to make the state’s coast more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. The project encompasses rural coastal communities in the Delmarva region of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The awards are being made under the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a competitive, $575 million program funded through the nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“As part of President Biden’s commitment to combating the climate crisis, we are investing $575 million to help make sure America’s coastal communities are more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of this historic investment in our nation’s climate resilience the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $1.97 million to help underserved communities in Delaware develop and implement new strategies to protect themselves from the impacts of climate change.”
Administered by the Department of Commerce and NOAA, the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; build resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restore coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; build the capacity of underserved communities and support community-driven restoration; and provide employment opportunities.
“To be a climate-ready coast and nation, the issues facing our farmers must be met,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “This project will help ensure the continuation of our food supply and farming as a means of supporting families.”
The recommended project and $1,973,267 in total funding will be led by Virginia Tech. The project, Leveraging Cooperative Extension to Build an Enduring Capacity for Equitable and Inclusive Resilience in Rural Agricultural Communities across Coastal Delaware, Maryland and Virginia will be a joint, multistate effort that includes establishing a regional collaborative to support climate resilience in rural communities in the Delmarva region, where agriculture plays a key role in the local economy and culture. Project partners will conduct a needs assessment and a series of community listening sessions to identify current capabilities, challenges and opportunities to increase resilience – particularly in low-income, minority and agricultural communities.
This project will also support an educational component that will strengthen the capacity to initiate and participate in climate adaptation and resilience projects. Challenges addressed with this project include sea level rise, temperature changes, changing precipitation patterns and the impact on communities and agriculture.
Additional information is available on the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge website.
Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/GYNBFVX3RJFONASKO5EMISYHTE.jpg "Police recover man’s body from Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia")
Police recovered the body of a man from the Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia Thursday afternoon.
The body of the man, described as in his 40s, was recovered around 3:30 p.m. by the police Marine Unit near the Linden Avenue Boat Ramp in the city’s Torresdale section, police said,
The man was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. by fire department personnel at the scene.
Police said the investigation into his death was ongoing.
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