A grim glimpse into Delaware’s coastal future – Sea level along coast is rising at a slow but steady pace
By MOLLY MURRAY, The News Journal
30 November 2011
Tom Owen looked at the state’s sea-level-rise projection map of Lewes along Delaware Bay on Tuesday night and was only slightly reassured. He was one of about 100 people who came to see the state Sea Level Advisory Committee’s projections of what gradually rising coastal waters will mean for Delawareans over the next 100 years. “The cottage on the beach is going to be there,” he said. “But we’re not going to be able to get to it … and I’m not a boating person.” Sea level is rising in Delaware at a slow but steady pace. So far it has risen about 13 inches over the past 100 years. But that rate — about 3.35 millimeters a year — is nearly double the global average. One reason: Delaware is sinking at the same time that sea level is rising, said Susan Love, a state planner with Delaware Coastal Programs. A combination of geology and plate tectonics is causing the state to settle, she said. State environmental officials believe the rate of sea-level rise will speed up over the next 100 years because of climate change. Love said they wanted to take a close look at what rising sea levels will be like so they can adapt, compensate or make location adjustments when planning future infrastructure. The idea is to better plan for a Delaware that could be significantly wetter than it is today. […] Among the biggest concerns for state environmental officials is the potential impact of sea level rise on coastal wetlands. In the worst-case scenario, “we’re going to lose about 95 percent of wetlands” along Delaware Bay, said Sarah Cooksey, administrator of Delaware Coastal Programs. “A lot of people think it’s only going to happen along the ocean.” There are concerns about saltwater intrusion both for drinking-water supplies and agricultural irrigation wells. And loss of wetlands can mean more upland flooding and additional water-quality problems. […]
