Delaware Will Have A New Artificial Reef Addition Soon

DNREC to Sink Ex-Navy and Army Ship Reedville as Newest Addition to Renowned Delaware Artificial Reef System

Dover (Aug 13, 2020) … The Reedville, a 180-foot-long former U.S. Navy and later Army fast-supply freighter turned fish processing ship renamed for the Virginia community once known as the wealthiest town in America, was to be sunk today by DNREC on Reef Site No. 11 as the newest addition to the Delaware’s renowned artificial reef system.

Reedville joins the longest ship ever reefed on the East Coast, the 585-foot destroyer ex-USS Arthur W. Radford, sunk by DNREC in 2011; the former Lewes-to-Cape May ferry M/V Twin Capes, reefed in 2018; and more than 1,350 retired New York City subway cars that have helped comprise the reef system over the last two decades, including 997 cars on the site where Reedville was to be sunk today. Reef Site No. 11 is also known as the Redbird Reef after the “redbird” No. 7 Flushing Line subway cars that provide predominant structure and fish habitat over the reef’s 1.3 square miles of ocean floor located 16 miles off the Delaware coast.

Video of the Reedvillesinking will be available afterward to media outlets by emailing Michael Globetti, DNREC media relations manager.

Download the Delaware Artificial reef guide PDF. This is a handy guide to have that shows you locations and everything you need to know for finding our artificial reefs.