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EPA estimates of the Area of Land Close to Sea Level in Delaware

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The table below provides EPA's estimated uncertainty range of the area of dry land and nontidal wetlands below particular elevations, in square kilometers, as well as the area of tidal wetlands in the EPA wetlands data set. For the most part, EPA used USGS maps with 5-foot contours with a vertical accuracy of about 75 cm. The uncertainty range considers the accuracy of the elevation data that the EPA study used. For example, Kent County has between 22 and 41 square kilometers of dry land and 10 to 17 square kilometers of nontidal wetlands within one meter above spring high water

The majority of land close to sea level in the nation's first state is wetland rather than dry land. For example, Kent County has approximately 169 square kilometers of tidal wetlands, which is 5 to 10 times the area of dry land potentially inundates by a one-meter rise in sea level. A printer-friendly file with the area of dry land and wetland vulnerable to sea level rise in Delaware is also available.

Low and High Estimates of the Area of Land Close to Sea Level, by County: Delaware1
(square kilometers)

Meters above Spring High Water

low
high
low
high
low
high
low
high
low
high
low
high
low
high
County

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0

-------------Cumulative (total) amount of Dry Land below a given elevation-------------
Kent

8.8
25
22
41
35
57
48
78
86
119
129
168
178
210
New Castle

7.1
19
17
30
26
41
34
52
54
75
77
98
99
119
Sussex: Chesapeake Bay

0.5
1.6
1.4
3.3
2.7
5.2
4.3
7.1
8.5
14
15
24
26
36
Sussex: Delaware Bay

6.4
18
16
31
27
43
37
55
60
79
83
99
103
120
Sussex: Atlantic Coast

11
32
28
54
46
74
65
95
104
140
149
187
197
234
Statewide

34
96
84
158
136
221
188
287
313
426
453
575
603
719








Tidal Wetlands
-------Cumulative (total) amount of Nontidal Wetlands below a given elevation-----
Kent
169
4.9
11
10
17
15
22
19
25
26
31
32
37
39
44
New Castle
74
1.8
3.8
3.5
4.8
4.3
5.8
5.1
6.7
6.7
8.4
8.3
9.9
9.7
11
Sussex: Chesapeake Bay
6.7
0.6
1.8
1.6
2.7
2.4
3.5
3.1
4.4
4.8
6.4
6.9
9.4
10
13
Sussex: Delaware Bay
67
2.1
4.8
4.6
6.2
5.7
7.5
6.8
8.6
9
11
11
12
12
13
Sussex: Atlantic Coast
41
1.7
4.9
4.2
7.5
6.6
10
8.8
12
13
16
16
18
19
21
Statewide
357
11
27
24
38
34
48
43
56
59
72
75
87
90
102










Cumulative (total) amount of land below a given elevation
Dry Land

34
96
84
158
136
221
188
287
313
426
453
575
603
719
Nontidal Wetlands

11
27
24
38
34
48
43
56
59
72
75
87
90
102
All Land
357
402
480
465
553
527
626
588
701
730
855
885
1019
1050
1178
1. Low and high are an uncertainty range based on the contour interval and/or stated root mean square error (RMSE) of the input elevation data.  Calculations assume that half of the RMSE is random error and half is systematic error. For a discussion of these calculations, see the EPA report.