What:   Reporters and the public are invited to view the aircraft and equipment that will survey the region over and surrounding Delaware Bay. USGS scientists and a crew from SkyTEM, the contractor who is conducting the survey, will be onsite to describe the airborne geophysical instrumentation and the overall project objectives.  

Where:   Ockels Farms Airport - DE23, 22304 East Redden Road, Milton, Delaware, near the intersection of East Redden Road and Sand Road, Milton, Delaware 

When:   July 19, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm 

Starting in mid-July and lasting up to a month, a helicopter towing a large hoop from a cable will be conducting low-level flights over Delaware Bay and nearby regions in Delaware and New Jersey as part of the USGS Next Generation Water Observing System project in the Delaware River Basin.   

USGS scientists and researchers from the University of Delaware will use the data to improve understanding of groundwater salinity and below-ground geology. Rising sea level, increasing frequency and intensity of coastal storms and increasing demand for groundwater have amplified the risk of saltwater impacting water supplies in the region.   

The data from this survey will serve as a benchmark against which future changes in groundwater salinity in the Delaware Bay region can be compared. 

A recent media alert contains more information. 

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