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Drone Rules for Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Smyrna, Delaware (DE) • United States
2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977, USA
Lat: 39.2584 • Lng: -75.4551

Rules Edit History: Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

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May 30, 2026 8:45 AM Approved • Added USFWS drone prohibition for Bombay Hook NWR with Dover AFB Class D adjacency and Rufa Red Knot ESA protection.
Author: be5f5cb8-9839-4827-98b3-c519aa546acc (1118)
Moderation feedback
Approved Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within national wildlife refuges. The added context regarding the refuge's proximity to Dover Air Force Base's Class D airspace and the presence of the Rufa Red Knot, a federally threatened species, enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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Field Before After
Summary USFWS prohibits drones on Bombay Hook NWR. Delaware Bay's largest salt marsh complex hosts 150,000+ waterfowl in fall migration and is a primary red knot and ruddy turnstone horseshoe crab stopover. Bombay Hook NWR is closed to drone operations under USFWS Director's Order 210. The refuge hosts the largest tidal salt marsh in Delaware and critical stopover habitat for up to 150,000 shorebirds during Atlantic Flyway migration.
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Before
## Drone Rules - Bombay Hook NWR, Delaware

**Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210.

### Airspace / Site Context
- 16,251-acre tidal marsh; peak snow goose staging in November can reach 100,000 birds on the impoundments
- Dover AFB (DOV) Class D is ~10 NM southwest; Dover handles C-17 Globemaster traffic at low altitude over Kent County
- Red knot (threatened) spring staging (May) overlaps with Delaware Bay horseshoe crab spawn; population-level impacts from disturbance are documented


### Key Rules
- Dover AFB NOTAMs include low-level military flight corridors that extend northeast over the refuge
- USFWS Special Use Permit required for research UAS; red knot staging season (May) permits are subject to USFWS shorebird biologist review
- The Wildlife Drive auto tour loop skirts all four impoundments; launching from the drive road is a federal violation


### Source
- USFWS Bombay Hook: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bombay-hook
After
## Drone Rules - Bombay Hook NWR

**All drone launches, landings, and flights are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 (2015). A Special Use Permit is required for any UAS operation.

### Airspace / Site Context
- Dover AFB Class D airspace (KDOV) lies ~12 miles SW; Class D floor 0 ft AGL
- Dover AFB airspace is active with C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift operations
- Refuge encompasses 16,251 acres of tidal marsh, pools, and upland
- Up to 150,000 shorebirds and 70,000 waterfowl use the refuge annually

### Key Rules
- No drone operations without USFWS Special Use Permit
- Federally threatened Rufa Red Knot (ESA Section 9) nests and forages here
- Shorebird staging areas have zero-tolerance disturbance policy April-May
- Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife also enforces state wildlife protection

### Source
- USFWS: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bombay-hook
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  ### Airspace / Site Context
+ - Up to 150,000 shorebirds and 70,000 waterfowl use the refuge annually
  
  ### Key Rules
+ - Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife also enforces state wildlife protection
  
  ### Source
May 30, 2026 7:28 AM Approved • Added USFWS drone prohibition for Bombay Hook NWR with Dover AFB low-level corridors, 100,000-snow goose staging, and red knot horseshoe crab stopover context.
Author: be5f5cb8-9839-4827-98b3-c519aa546acc (1118)
Moderation feedback
Approved Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, including the USFWS prohibition, Dover AFB low-level corridors, 100,000-snow goose staging, and red knot horseshoe crab stopover context, has been approved. This aligns with USFWS regulations prohibiting drone operations within the refuge. The added context enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
Sources
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
Field Before After
Flight status Unknown NoFly
Summary — USFWS prohibits drones on Bombay Hook NWR. Delaware Bay's largest salt marsh complex hosts 150,000+ waterfowl in fall migration and is a primary red knot and ruddy turnstone horseshoe crab stopover.
Mapped shapes — 4cf97f2d-132e-40f3-9bcd-cfec3c36d79b
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Bombay Hook NWR, Delaware

**Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210.

### Airspace / Site Context
- 16,251-acre tidal marsh; peak snow goose staging in November can reach 100,000 birds on the impoundments
- Dover AFB (DOV) Class D is ~10 NM southwest; Dover handles C-17 Globemaster traffic at low altitude over Kent County
- Red knot (threatened) spring staging (May) overlaps with Delaware Bay horseshoe crab spawn; population-level impacts from disturbance are documented

### Key Rules
- Dover AFB NOTAMs include low-level military flight corridors that extend northeast over the refuge
- USFWS Special Use Permit required for research UAS; red knot staging season (May) permits are subject to USFWS shorebird biologist review
- The Wildlife Drive auto tour loop skirts all four impoundments; launching from the drive road is a federal violation

### Source
- USFWS Bombay Hook: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bombay-hook
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+ ## Drone Rules - Bombay Hook NWR, Delaware
+ 
+ **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210.
+ 
+ ### Airspace / Site Context
+ - 16,251-acre tidal marsh; peak snow goose staging in November can reach 100,000 birds on the impoundments
+ - Dover AFB (DOV) Class D is ~10 NM southwest; Dover handles C-17 Globemaster traffic at low altitude over Kent County
+ - Red knot (threatened) spring staging (May) overlaps with Delaware Bay horseshoe crab spawn; population-level impacts from disturbance are documented
+ 
+ ### Key Rules
+ - Dover AFB NOTAMs include low-level military flight corridors that extend northeast over the refuge
+ - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research UAS; red knot staging season (May) permits are subject to USFWS shorebird biologist review
+ - The Wildlife Drive auto tour loop skirts all four impoundments; launching from the drive road is a federal violation
+ 
+ ### Source
+ - USFWS Bombay Hook: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bombay-hook
+