Delaware Artificial Reefs

Delaware Artificial Reefs (and a few New Jersey reefs)

Coverage of Delaware is restricted to just those sites that are in the ocean and vessels in the bay. Siting reefs has been tricky for Delaware, as they must be kept clear of the shipping lanes. This doesn't leave a lot of places that are both located in usefully deep water and a convenient distance from shore. Cape May Reef belongs to New Jersey, but is within range of Delaware, and lately seems to have received material from Delaware. I have also included the USS Blenny, to the south - drag the chart.

Delaware Artificial Reef Charts

The 5 Delaware reefs shown here total approximately 7.2 square miles.

Twin Capes
Shearwater
Shearwater
USS Radford
USS Radford
Gregory Poole
YO-93
USCG Tamaroa
two tugboats
two tugboats
Frieda Marie
American Glory
American Glory
Delaware has eight permitted reefs in the Delaware Bay, and another way offshore that is undeveloped and will likely stay that way.

Site #8 has a 70' tugboat "Golden Eagle". Site #6 has a 120' barge. Site #1 has a 40' pilot boat. Other than that, the Delaware Bay reefs are all concrete rubble.


DelJerseyLand Inshore Artificial Reef

26 Nautical Miles from Indian River Inlet, 1.51 sq miles
Depth: 120-140 ft [download]


Delaware Artificial Reefs

Delaware has a string of artificial reef sites in the Delaware bay, but they are of little interest to divers. Most of the sites are quite shallow and perilously close to the shipping lanes, several of them were actually reduced for this reason. The conditions in the bay are hardly good for diving. The reefs consist mostly of concrete rubble from construction in Philadelphia and other cities on the river. Also shown is New Jersey's sole artificial reef in the bay.


Delaware #11 Artificial Reef

15.5 Nautical Miles from Indian River Inlet, 1.52 sq miles
Depth: 70-90 ft


Redbird Subway Car - in service
Type:
250 "Redbird" subway cars - NYC Subway system - steel bodies / frames
Built:
1959-1960 - American Car & Foundry - Model R26 # 7750-7859
1960-1961 - American Car & Foundry - Model R28 # 7860-7959
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R29 # 8570-8805
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R33 # 8806-9345
1963-1964 - St. Louis Car - Model R36 # 9346-9769
Specs:
( 51 x 9 ft ) 15,000 to 18,000 pounds (body)
Sunk:
50 cars - Cape May Reef on July 3, 2003
50 cars - Deepwater Reef on July 16, 2003
50 cars - Atlantic City Reef on July 25, 2003
50 cars - Garden State North Reef on Sept 3, 2003
50 cars - Shark River Reef on Oct 14, 2003
619 cars - Delaware Reef 11 from Aug 2001 to Nov 2003
Sponsor:
New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
anti-
Sponsor:
Environmental group Clean Ocean Action lobbied aggressively and almost successfully to prevent the use of these subway cars as artificial reefs in New Jersey, resulting in most of the cars going to other states.
GPS:
too many to list, and all gone anyway
Depth:
Depths vary by location between 80 ft and 130 ft.


Type:
shipwreck, freighter, USA, converted to barge
Built:
1918, Globe Shipbuilding, Superior WI, as Contoocook, later Elda
Specs:
( 251' x 43 ft ) 2344 gross tons
Sunk:
Monday March 18, 1946
foundered
GPS:
38°36.769' -74°56.878' (DNREC)
Depth:
60 ft