Cleared Phragmites beside a standing stand along a bay shoreline

Coastal & Phragmites Management · Coastal service

Phragmites management programs

Ground and brush clearing alone does not get rid of Phragmites. A program does: treat, clear, spot-treat, maintain.

Request an assessment Questions answered

1The short answer

Phragmites australis is an invasive grass that can grow well over 10 feet tall. Its rhizomes can spread more than 30 feet sideways and about 3 feet deep (DNREC), and within two to three growing seasons a stand will block the water view from a first-floor window.

Ground and brush clearing alone does not control Phragmites; programs pair cutting with treatment. That is why Huntly sells a program rather than a single cut.

Cleared Phragmites field running out to the bay on the horizon — A cleared field running out to the bayHuntly Land Co. job photo

2Coastal & Phragmites Management

The program, year by year

Year 1: licensed herbicide application in late summer by a Delaware-licensed aquatic applicator, then a winter clear and mulch of the standing dead material on firm or frozen ground. Years 2 to 3: spot-treat regrowth and a light maintenance clear. Year 4 and on: annual maintenance. Licensed treatment runs under separate paper.

Stand assessed and mapped
Permit path confirmed with DNREC
Year 1: treat, then winter clear and mulch
Years 2 to 3: spot-treat and maintenance clear
Annual maintenance, drone-verified

3Coastal & Phragmites Management

The part you see from the porch

Huntly removes the standing dead biomass after treatment, which is the part that blocks the view and becomes a fire hazard when the stalks dry out.

4Coastal & Phragmites Management

If you only want the view this season

A view-only maintenance clear is available, priced as recurring maintenance, with the trade-offs explained up front.

5Questions

Asked about phragmites management programs

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), so a single cut leaves them in place to regrow.

Who applies the herbicide?

A Delaware-licensed aquatic applicator, under separate paper. Huntly carries out the ground and brush clearing, mulching and biomass removal.

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

Where the wetlands are: Sussex County wetland acreage and sewer districts (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

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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

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