Wide aerial of a tidal creek meeting the bay through brown Phragmites marsh before ground and brush clearing

Coastal & Phragmites Management · Coastal service

Ditch and right-of-way ground and brush clearing

For farms and tax-ditch organizations: bounded reaches, written designation and marked limits.

Request an assessment Questions answered

1The short answer

Ditch and right-of-way ground and brush clearing keeps farm ditches, tax ditches and drainage rights-of-way open so water moves and the ditch can be inspected. Huntly requires written right-of-way designation from the organization and a marked limit for every reach before equipment moves.

Cleared Phragmites field with a tree line and open bay beyond — Cleared field, tree line and the bay beyondHuntly Land Co. job photo

2Coastal & Phragmites Management

Farm ground and tax ditches

Phragmites and woody growth close drainage ditches on coastal farm ground. Clearing and ground and brush clearing on low-ground-pressure tracks reach saturated banks without rutting them, and frozen ground in the dormant season widens the window.

Written right-of-way designation
Marked limit for every reach
Low-ground-pressure tracks on saturated banks
Dated before and after record

3Coastal & Phragmites Management

Phragmites in ditches

Mechanical ground and brush clearing restores flow and access for the season. Ground and brush clearing alone does not control Phragmites; programs pair cutting with treatment. A program with licensed treatment holds longer.

4Coastal & Phragmites Management

Quoted as a bounded scope

Per linear mile or by machine-day, from a written scope. The government division carries the same scope for districts and authorities.

5Questions

Asked about ditch and right-of-way ground and brush clearing

Can you clear a tax ditch?

Yes, with written right-of-way designation from the tax-ditch organization and marked limits for each reach.

Does ground and brush clearing fix a Phragmites-choked ditch?

It restores flow and access for the season. Ground and brush clearing alone does not control Phragmites; programs pair cutting with treatment. Phragmites regrows from the rhizome, so a repeat schedule or program is recommended.

6How a job runs

Five steps, in this order.

Phragmites assessment and mapped standThe stand or the work area is walked and mapped, with access, tidal edges and low-bearing ground noted.
Permit path confirmed with DNRECThe regulatory status of the site is confirmed with DNREC in writing before work begins, at no cost to the owner.
Year 1 treat then clearLicensed treatment in late summer under separate paper, then a winter clear and mulch of the standing dead material.
Years 2 to 3 spot-treat and maintenance clearRegrowth is spot-treated and the stand gets a light maintenance clear, on firm or frozen ground.
Annual maintenance, drone-verifiedA yearly visit holds the result, and each year is photographed from the air for the owner’s record.

Keep reading

Drainage and right-of-way records: Sussex County planning and zoning docket counts (SussexCounty.ai)

Before you write

Phragmites, permits, cost-share and timing

Regulatory notes are general guidance; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each site before work.

What shapes the cost of a Phragmites program in Sussex County, DE?

The size and density of the stand, access to the marsh edge, the frontage involved, the number of years in the program and whether licensed herbicide application is part of it. Licensed applications and permits are quoted as separate visible lines, and every program is priced in writing after an assessment of the stand.

Does Delaware help pay for Phragmites control?

DNREC’s cost-share program covers 87.5% of aerial herbicide treatment for qualifying Phragmites stands (landowner pays 12.5%), applied by helicopter in late summer and early fall over a three-year commitment. Enrollment requires 5 to 200 acres. Applications are first-come, first-served with a mid-summer deadline. If you qualify, we will tell you and help you enroll.

Does ground and brush clearing alone get rid of Phragmites?

No. Ground and brush clearing alone does not control Phragmites; programs pair cutting with treatment. Its rhizomes can spread more than 30 feet sideways and about 3 feet deep (DNREC).

Do I need a permit to cut Phragmites in Delaware?

Activities in Delaware wetlands generally require a DNREC permit (7 Del. C. § 6604), with some exemptions. We confirm with DNREC Wetlands and Waterways before cutting or spraying in tidal wetlands.

When is marsh work scheduled?

Mechanical ground and brush clearing is scheduled on firm or frozen ground in winter. Herbicide is applied by a Delaware-licensed aquatic applicator in the late-summer window DNREC uses, and the state cost-share program sprays by helicopter in late summer and early fall. Track carriers working on low-ground-pressure tracks reach marsh edges that trucks and tractors cannot.

Keep exploring

More from the Coastal & Phragmites Management division

Schedule a site walk

Let’s walk the shoreline.

hello@huntlyland.com

Send 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

Plan a site walk Storm or emergency

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.