The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has received grants from Hurricane Sandy funding to rehabilitate and improve environmental functionality and sustainability for areas along the Delaware Bay shoreline. The Mispillion Inlet Complex near Milford, Delaware was one of the projects selected due to its importance as habitat for both American Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus) and shorebirds, specifically the threatened species Rufa Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa). The complex includes the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek that connect at Mispillion Inlet and provide access for tidal flow and navigation into the Delaware Bay via federally-authorized and maintained channels. Efforts to stabilize Mispillion Inlet first occurred in 1859 when a 560-foot long timber pile jetty was constructed along the north side of the inlet. In 1908 a south jetty was constructed, and in subsequent years, several additional jetty extensions were made to a total length of about 5,800 feet. In 1985, the barrier spit separating Mispillion River and the Delaware Bay north of the inlet breached and was subsequently closed with a stone dike and sand fill. Two years later, the repaired area was breached again, followed by placement of more rock and sand.
The Proximate Causes of Sexual Size Dimorphism in Phrynocephalus przewalskii