Marine Construction in Clayton, DE

Farm pond and branch water: Duck Creek, Alston Branch and farm ponds — about 50 miles north of the shop.

Clayton sits just west of Smyrna at the head of Duck Creek, right about where the water stops being tidal. Above that line it is farm pond, drainage and creek bank, and the failures are gradual rather than dramatic.

Access. Long haul from Seaford, so Clayton work is usually combined with other Kent County jobs. We cover ZIP code 19938 and the surrounding Kent County shoreline.

What that usually argues for. Stone, grading and planting — the same erosion control we do on tidal water, at a smaller scale. Honest answer: if the job is a farm pond, say so on the phone and we will tell you straight whether it is ours.

Shoreline work in Delaware is regulated, and almost anything built in or over the water needs approval from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. We handle that in house — preparing the plans, completing the applications and coordinating with the agencies.

Budget three to twelve months for agency review depending on the complexity of the project. It is the part of the schedule most people underestimate, so it is worth starting the conversation well before the season you want to be using the water.