May 21, 2018 – In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the USFWS supported restoration at many beaches along the Delaware Bayshore. One of those – Thomspons Beach – was recently named one of the best restored beaches in the United States by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA).

The restoration project at Thompsons Beach was chosen for the environmental and economic benefits it provides, contributing to the region’s multi-million-dollar ecotourism industry by providing critical habitat for horseshoe crabs and migratory shorebirds such as red knot. ASBPA also highlighted the project’s science-based process and powerful public/private partnerships.

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Red knots and horseshoe crabs at Mispillion Harbor, Delaware.
Credit: Gregory Breese/USFWS

May 20, 2018 – It looks like endagnered piping plovers are moving in to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, where they have not been known to nest since the refuge was established. What’s the curb appeal? The refuge’s 3-mile-long Fowler Beach, which was recently restored as part of a $38 million project funded in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

While the Sandy-funded restoration was not designed with plovers in mind, their presence is certainly welcome by refuge staff and local birders. Wildlife biologist Annie Larsen calls the birds “a miracle of nature,” noting the many challenges to their survival.

Larsen spotted the first plover nest at Fowler Beach in 2016, just as restoration work was ending. Last summer at least a dozen chicks fledged – a record high within the state of Delaware. So far this year, there are four known nests at Fowler beach and four more at nearby Cape Henlopen State Park.

Read the story in the Delaware News Journal
Learn more about restoration at Prime Hook


Piping plover parent and chicks.
Credit: Kaiti Titherington/USFWS

May 3, 2018 - The Service is working with partners, including American Rivers and the State of Maryland, to remove Bloede Dam in Maryland later this year. When the outdated hydropower dam is gone, migratory fish will be able to reach historical spawning habitat, visitors to Patapsco River State Park will enjoy a more natural river with increased fishing opportunities, and downstream residents will have fewer flood concerns. The project is supported by federal funds for Hurricane Sandy recovery and resilience.

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When Bloede Dam is removed later this year, river herring such as alewife will regain access to more than 60 miles of historical spawning habitat.
Credit: Geoffrey Gilmour-Taylor/Creative Commons

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