Small parts of Greene, Schoharie and Chenango Counties. Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world, Inspire a lifelong connection with wildlife and wild places through our children's publications, products, and activities, National Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Port Cargo: Includes petroleum and petrochemical products, container cargo, forest products and automobiles. New StoryMap of Phillys Suburban Watersheds, Growing Greener with Congregation Adath Jeshurun, Collaboration is Like Regenerative Agriculture, Observation in the Basin A Community Action Story. (Bernardsville, NJ) - 102 organizations of the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed sent a letter to congressional leaders and appropriation committees declaring their support for $13.5 million in investments for a federal program designed to protect the drinking water of more than 13 million residents. The 85-mile-long Delaware Aqueduct is the worlds longest tunnel. The department said it was confident water from its Baxter facility would be safe to drink and to cook with through at least 11:59 p.m. Monday. Delaware River, river of the Atlantic slope of the United States, meeting tidewater at Trenton, New Jersey, about 130 miles (210 km) above its mouth. To stabilize the river, the three states that make up the Lower Basin California, Arizona and Nevada have agreed to voluntarily conserve 3 million acre-feet of water over the next three . Migratory fish - for example, the American shad and the endangered Atlantic sturgeon - and resident fish are supported by the river; the upper Delaware is also a world-class trout fishery. Delaware River Watershed Initiative NYCDEP Bureau of Water Supply Director of Outreach John Milgrim: DRBC Director of External Affairs and Communications Elizabeth Brown. But there are more steps to ultimately make this binding and enforceable.. If the states deviated from the priority system and distributed cuts equally among the Lower Basin, California and its powerful farming regions such as the Imperial Valley stood to suffer a major blow. Unlike other geographic watershed programs, the federal government has never had a comprehensive strategy addressing conservation, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat protection. PDF Re V It Al Izi Ng Th E De L Awa Re Ri V E R Wa Te Rs H E D The Delaware River Watershed stretches from the Catskills to Delaware Bay, providing drinking water and jobs for millions of people. View NYCDEP News Release (issued June 28, 2023). Delaware Watersheds Despite successful conservation efforts across the Delaware River basin, the hard-working river has not been immune to the pressures of development. As we celebrate this success, our work continues. The Colorado River runs through seven states and supplies more than 40 million people with water, and is a major resource for agriculture in the western U.S. Delaware River Basin Commission|FAQ - The Official Web Site for The Spread the word. The Delaware Aqueduct has been leaking upwards of 35 million gallons per day since the 1990s. Our watershed program focuses on the nexus of habitat and water quality, targeting key federal, state and interstate policies, including long-term funding for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, the Delaware River Basin Commission and key conservation programs in the watershed states. Combined with its tributaries, the river supports more than 60 fish speciespopular game fish like Eastern brook trout, striped bass, and migrating river herring among them. The Delaware River watershed covers 13,600 square miles in four states, stretching 330 densely populated miles from New York's Catskills to the Atlantic Ocean. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice at American Rivers. The watershed supplies clean drinking water to more than 5 percent of country, vital habitat for wildlife and is a historic and recreational treasure. The watershed provides a valuable resource -- drinking water -- to over 13 million people, including 4.5 million residents of New York City and 1.5 million residents of Philadelphia. Todays announcement is a testament to the Biden-Harris administrations commitment to working with states, Tribes and communities throughout the West to find consensus solutions in the face of climate change and sustained drought.. New Jersey and three surrounding states can't agree so old pre-conservation rules will kick in. WeConservePA's Delaware River Watershed Land Protection Group Summer Meeting, July 21. Tributaries are arranged generally north to south from the source of the river to its mouth, its confluence with the Delaware River, tributaries within that rivers' watershed are mentioned in notes. Read on to learn more about how Audubon is protecting the Delaware River Watershed here. Our mission is to protect the rivers and streams that provide drinking water for more than 15 million people across four states. Five ways to participate in the 50th anniversary celebration! It transfers water from the three NYC Delaware River Basin Reservoirs (Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink) via the Roundout Reservoir to New York City. Colorado River states, Biden make deal to protect drought-stricken Neither of those alternatives were particularly palatable to the states, which nudged them toward compromise. The . Delaware Aqueduct to Shut Down for Repairs: October 2024, Hydrologic Conditions (Streamflow, Groundwater), View flyer for the May 11 Public Info Session, Fact Sheet: Repairing the Delaware Aqueduct, The Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project and its Impacts on Watershed Communities. Delaware River Port Complex (including docking facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware): largest freshwater port in the world, 2017 Delaware River Port Study: 90 million tons of cargo moved through the regional ports, supporting over 190,000 jobs and over $85 billion in total economic activity (from aMaritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay 2018 news release). Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. [1]:p.9 The Delaware River rises in New York's Catskill Mountains flowing southward for 419 miles (674km) into Delaware Bay where its waters enter the Atlantic Ocean near Cape May in New Jersey and Cape Henlopen in Delaware. Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed. List of Delaware River tributaries - Wikipedia More than 13.3 million people obtain clean, abundant water from the Delaware River Watershed, including 4.5 million residents of New York City, as well as Philadelphia, Allentown and Trenton. That is a really critical point for everyone to understand.. In the case of the Delaware River Watershed, rain that falls and water that runs in streams throughout 13,500 square miles across parts of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania eventually makes its way into the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. How healthy is the Delaware River watershed? Running southwest from the Rocky Mountains to Mexicos Gulf of California, the river runs through seven states in the American West. The bay, as an estuary, forms a transitional zone between the river environment provided by the Delaware River and maritime environment of the Atlantic Ocean that is subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of fresh water and sediment. The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is a federal-interstate agency created in 1961 by compact legislation signed into law by President John F. Kennedy and the governors of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York (the four basin states with land draining to the Delaware River). The Colorado River is a major source of drinking water for some of the countrys largest cities, including Los Angeles and Phoenix. The importance of connectivity remains a key part of the management plan, protecting headwater tributaries from the impacts of fracking as the river is restored downstream from historic mining damages. Delaware River Basin Commission|Maps, Graphics & GIS How Do Wildfires in Canadas Boreal Forest Affect Birds Across the Continent? The watershed of the Delaware River drains an area of 14,119 square miles (36,570 km 2) and encompasses 42 counties and 838 municipalities in five U.S. statesNew York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. The purpose is plain: a clean Delaware for future generations. Philadelphia, France deploys 40,000 officers amid riots over police killing of teen, Ukraine live briefing: Pence visits Ukraine; Erdogan decries Quran burning in Sweden amid stalled NATO bid, Snow has been abundant in California this year, States could agree to cut back on their water use, or the federal government could step in, Interiors environmental review of reservoir operations, in negotiations with the seven states affected. A watershed is the area of land draining to a particular stream. A Basin is a large watershed; it can be made up of smaller sub-watersheds. The Lehigh and Schuylkill Rivers are the largest tributaries in this region, containing an expansive network of wetlands and streamside habitats supporting abundant and diverse bird communities. It once teemed with shad, sturgeon and steamboats, and later harbored so-called dead zones where the river was unable to support fish and other aquatic life. The lower Delaware River has never been long off the nation's mind; it lies between 2 of the great colonial cities of the nation: NY and Phi, NPS Wild & Scenic Rivers Starting in June 2024, the NYC Delaware Basin Reservoir levels will be lowered in anticipation of the fall shutdown. Consumptive Use: Over 850 million gallons a day; this is water withdrawn from the Basin but not returned. The area is primarily part of Greater Philadelphia with the . It powers agricultural land and urban areas, serving roughly 1 in 10 Americans. The bay's outermost boundary separating it from the Atlantic are two capes: Cape Henlopen and Cape May. To increase our sense of community for this shared resource, the Delaware River Basin Commission recently launched Our Shared Waters as a fresh take on the watershed we all share. Mink, muskrat, beavers, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, owls, bobcats, and otters all call the river valley home. Entsminger said it was also a major step forward for protecting a vital water source for the West. These reservoirs have fallen dramatically as the warming climate and the past two decades of drought have reduced the rivers natural flow by about 20 percent. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del. California, despite using more water than any state, is the remaining holdout. These forests act as a natural buffer against pollution and erosion by filtering water, which is very important for maintaining water quality. Brewers depend on clean, reliable water to survive and thrive, just like birds. Our work in the watershed is generously supported by the William Penn Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, additional foundations and donors just like you! Delaware River (Upper) This 73-mile stretch of river flows between Hancock and Sparrow Bush, New York, along the Pennsylvania border. An analysis by Delaware Currents reveals that the top five hot spots Burlington, Salem, Gloucester, Warren and Mercer Counties - collectively make up more than half of the Delaware River watershed in New Jersey. It has offered its own plan to conserve water. Audubon Maryland-DC and Audubon Pennsylvania have joined forces to become Audubon Mid-Atlantic. Entsminger said this amount would be saved in Lake Mead and would be uncompensated by the federal government. The Biden administration has committed to compensating the states for three-quarters of the water savings or 2.3 million acre-feet which would amount to about $1.2 billion in federal funds, the people familiar with the talks said. The heavy rain and snow that fell on Western states during winter helped ease the crisis on the Colorado and provided time and space for negotiators to reach a deal. See the story map. In the lower Basin, fish consumption advisories remain in effect for many communities and prime spawning beaches for signature species are fragmented and lost to development and rising sea levels. However, the impacts of development combined with the unpredictable threat of climate change continue to threaten this vibrant river system. (where it meets the Atlantic Ocean), Tributaries: more than 2,000, incl. Katie Hobbs (D), California Gov. Over 15 million people (roughly 5 percent of the nation's population) rely on the waters of the Delaware River Basin for . For all of these reasons (and more!) More than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. Environment New Jersey Watershed Delaware's rivers and streams are the most polluted in the U.S., a new report says Environmental Integrity Project evaluated waterways classified as impaired, unfit for swimming, recreation, aquatic life, fish consumption, and drinking. USGS Delaware River Dashboard (webpage) Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel U: Delaware River Watershed Initiative Water Quality Mapper (webpage) Shippensburg University: Delaware River Basin Project (webpage) River Runner: this application by web visualization/developer Sam Learner allows you to click on the map . While the entire tidal river is part of the estuary, salinity levels vary from the Delaware Bay (saltwater) to Wilmington, Del. With appointments to two regional commissions, Audubon aims to influence conservation and policy to protect the birds and people of the watershed. We want to hear your stories and see your photos! Delaware River Watershed | National Wildlife Federation On our Watershed Stewardship page are some tips on actions that you and your friends can take to help your watershed. U.S. Economic Engine: Supports a water-based economy of over $20 billion dollars annually, from recreation, water quality, water supply, hunting/fishing, ecotourism, forest, agriculture, open space and port benefits; supports ~600,000 jobs. In the Central Watershed, forests give way to urbanization, agriculture, energy infrastructure, and other fragmenting uses. (Video: Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post), Essential reporting from around the world, States reach deal with Biden to protect drought-stricken Colorado River.