A timeless photo of muskrat houses in Delaware

This photograph is probably a half-century old or more, but the scene is one that could be seen yesterday or two centuries ago with little change. It shows muskrat houses in one of the state’s seemingless endless systems of marshes.

Delaware is often characterized as a state with three counties at low tide and two counties at high. Our marshes - saltwater, freshwater, and those in between that are favorites for muskrats - contribute to the state’s abundance of wildlife. They are nurseries for many species of fish and shellfish, and endless buffets for the many varieties of waterfowl and shorebirds that offer such diversity to our landscape.