Kent County · DE · Coastal & Phragmites Management division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in Little Creek, DE
Little Creek sits on low marsh ground east of Dover, and its 2022 Land Development Ordinance sets 100-foot riparian buffers.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in Little Creek, DE. The town's 2022 Land Development Ordinance requires new development to protect a riparian buffer at least 100 feet from waterways and 50 feet beyond wetlands, keeps topsoil on site, and the town also has its own flood ordinance and building and floodplain permit. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the Little Creek code says
Little Creek covers about 0.10 square miles of land (US Census), roughly 49 miles from our Chadds Ford base. These are the town rules that most often shape a clearing, mulching or grading scope here, quoted from the code itself.
- 1.
Riparian buffers in new development
Section 12-7 of the Little Creek Land Development Ordinance requires riparian buffer areas in all new development, protected by dedication, deed restriction or conservation easement. The buffer reaches at least 100 feet past the top of bank of a lake, river, stream or waterway, or 50 feet beyond any wetland, whichever is greater, and may contain no new lot lines, structures or stormwater ponds.
Source: Town of Little Creek Land Development Ordinance (2022)
- 2.
No lots in floodplain or wetland
The ordinance bars platting lot lines in any floodplain, wetland, riparian buffer or designated open space, and requires floodplains, wetlands, riparian buffers and forested areas outside lot lines to be set aside as passive open space in new development.
- 3.
Topsoil stays and the handbook applies
All development or land disturbing activity is subject to the Delaware Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook. No topsoil may be removed from a site or used as spoil, and moved topsoil must provide at least 6 inches of cover and be seeded.
- 4.
Flood ordinance and permit
The town publishes its own flood ordinance and a combined building and flood plain permit application. On ground this low, we check the flood map and that permit with the town before any grading or fill.
Source: Little Creek Flood Ordinance · Little Creek documents and ordinances
Offices for a Little Creek site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Kent Conservation District, 1670 S. DuPont Highway, Dover (302-608-5370) |
| Town or city office | Town of Little Creek town office |
| Delegated agency list (who reviews where) | DNREC Sediment & Stormwater delegated agencies |
| Wetlands and waterways | DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section |
Little Creek questions, answered
Can you clear Phragmites near the marsh in Little Creek?
Phragmites work near tidal marsh is checked with DNREC before cutting or treatment. On developed parcels, the town's riparian buffer rules also apply. We confirm both before the scope is written.
Does Little Creek have its own floodplain permit?
Yes. The town publishes a building and flood plain permit application alongside its flood ordinance. Ask the town which work triggers it on your parcel.
Nearby pages
Cost, permits and the ground
Code summaries are general guidance, not legal advice; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each parcel before work.
What shapes the cost of land clearing in Little Creek, DE?
Density and stem size, ground and terrain, access and staging, finish standard, resource plan, stewardship and schedule. Haul-off of non-organic debris, stump grinding below grade, permits and licensed applications are quoted as separate visible lines. Every job is priced in writing after a private site walk, and the walk carries no charge inside the service region.
Do I need a permit for land clearing in Little Creek, DE?
Often, and it depends on the area disturbed and what is nearby. DNREC lists the Kent Conservation District as the sediment and stormwater review agency for Little Creek; Delaware's regulations exempt land disturbance under 5,000 square feet, and 1 acre or more also needs construction general permit coverage. Town approvals described on this page come on top of that, and work in wetlands generally needs a DNREC permit. We confirm each one for the parcel before work.
Is forestry mulching better than bulldozing?
For most brush and small-tree work, yes. Mulching leaves roots in the ground and a chip layer on the surface, so slopes stay put, stream-adjacent ground stays stable, and there are no burn piles or haul-off loads. A buildable surface, root-ball removal, grading or drainage work may call for a broader clearing or excavation plan.
More about Little Creek, DE
Regulatory notes are general guidance; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each site before work.
Who approves land clearing or earth disturbance in Little Creek, DE?
In Little Creek, DE, start with the town's permit or code office. As general guidance, DNREC lists delegated sediment and stormwater agencies in all three counties. Disturbing 1 acre or more also needs NPDES construction permit coverage through DNREC. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in Little Creek, DE?
Delaware bans most open burning from May 1 through September 30. Outside those dates a homeowner may burn small amounts of yard material after notifying the county fire board, but burning land-clearing material is always prohibited except for agriculture, and leaves and grass may never be burned. Huntly mulches brush in place, so no burn permit is needed. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What grows wild and takes over land around Little Creek, DE?
Typical for Kent County: Phragmites in wet ground and along ditches, plus autumn olive, multiflora rose, and sweetgum and loblolly pine thickets on idle fields. Which ones you have depends on soil and moisture. A site walk sorts it out, and Huntly prices the clearing in writing after the walk.
Is there cost-share money for clearing invasives in Little Creek, DE?
DNREC runs a Phragmites cost-share for landowners with 5 to 200 acres, using aerial application. Drainage ditches aren't eligible. Tax ditch organizations manage ditch channels separately, and your local conservation district can point you to other programs. Herbicide work is done by a licensed applicator and quoted as a separate visible line. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve Little Creek, DE, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes. Huntly Land Co. serves Delaware, and the site walk is free inside the service region. Every job is priced in writing after the walk at a fixed price, and mobilization for long hauls is quoted on the estimate. Call (302) 497-5263 or email hello@huntlyland.com.
Is my land in Little Creek, DE on a tax ditch?
Maybe. DNREC says Delaware has 234 tax ditch organizations managing more than 2,000 miles of channels, and ditch rights of way can limit what you clear. Check with DNREC's Tax Ditch Program before work near a ditch. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Do I need a DNREC permit to cut Phragmites near the water in Little Creek, DE?
Possibly. Tidal wetlands fall under 7 Del. C. ch. 66, and DNREC Wetlands and Waterways verification may be needed before cutting along tidal edges. Marsh edges and non-tidal ground are treated differently. Huntly checks the status of each site and confirms the rule before cutting. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Who do I call after a storm in Little Creek, DE?
Huntly runs a 24/7 storm line at (302) 497-5263 for downed trees blocking lanes, drives and fields, using a grapple to clear and haul debris. If a tree is on a house or other structure, call a tree service or the utility first. Huntly handles the cleanup after.
Where these facts come from
Sources: Town of Little Creek Land Development Ordinance (2022) · Little Creek Flood Ordinance · Little Creek documents and ordinances · DNREC, Sediment and Stormwater Delegated Agencies
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in Little Creek can need a sediment and stormwater plan or a local approval. Start here:
Send us the details.
hello@huntlyland.comSend the town, rough acreage and two or three photographs. We reply by email with site-walk times, and a written scope follows the walk.
Delaware & coastal line: (302) 497-5263 · Main line: (484) 486-7272
Office hours Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On call 24/7 for storm and emergency cleanup. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.