E-RISE RII: An Investigation of Saltwater Intrusion in the Complex Coastal Environment of Delaware

This project will investigate the critical issue of saltwater intrusion in Delaware's complex coastal environment. Saltwater intrusion, the movement of seawater into freshwater resources, poses significant threats to the state's drinking water supplies, agriculture, natural ecosystems, and infrastructure. This project aims to advance understanding of the processes driving saltwater intrusion and develop strategies to mitigate its impacts. The research team, consisting of faculty, staff, and students from Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College, Goldey-Beacom College, Wilmington University, and University of Delaware, will collaborate with partners across the state to address this pressing challenge. They will collect field data, conduct experiments, and develop computer models to study how various factors affect saltwater intrusion in urban, suburban, rural, and natural areas. The project will also explore innovative solutions, such as developing salinity-resistant crops, facilitating marsh migration, and promoting wetland-based carbon removal. By engaging partners throughout the State and training the next generation of social and natural scientists and engineers, the project aims to enhance regional resilience and promote long-term economic well-being. Ultimately, the project will provide vital information to support sustainable water management, protect Delaware's valuable water resources, and ensure a resilient future for coastal communities in Delaware and beyond. The project will employ a convergent, multidisciplinary approach to elucidate the complex hydrologic, geologic, biogeochemical, economic, and social factors impacting saltwater intrusion in Delaware's coastal environments. The project team will establish a network of monitoring wells to continuously measure groundwater salinity, collect geophysical data to characterize subsurface aquifer structure, and use advanced geochemical tracers to fingerprint the sources and pathways of saltwater intrusion. High-resolution numerical models, coupling surface water and groundwater dynamics, will be developed to simulate the interplay between various environmental factors, groundwater abstraction, and human decision-making on saltwater intrusion. The project will investigate the physical risks (hazards, exposure, and vulnerabilities) and assess how people make decisions related to water withdrawals, land uses, stormwater and infrastructure management, adaptation, and mitigation in urban, suburban, rural, and natural systems. Innovative solutions, such as targeted aquifer recharge, coastal wetland restoration, salinity-resistant crops, marsh migration strategies, and ecosystem service incentives, will be proposed and developed to mitigate the impacts of saltwater intrusion. The project will support and mentor six early-career faculty, two post-doctoral researchers, 36 graduate students, and at least 40 undergraduate students, engaging them in professional development cohorts across institutions to build workforce skills, team science, communication, and problem-solving. Outcomes of this research will provide a robust scientific foundation for the development of adaptive water management strategies to enhance the resilience of Delaware's coastal communities and ecosystems in the face of increasing water demand and complex environmental conditions. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE). E-RISE supports the development of sustainable research infrastructure and capacity in EPSCoR jurisdictions through collaborative, hypothesis-driven, or problem-driven research and workforce development to improve competitiveness in selected STEM fields. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.