Greater Philadelphia Area/Delaware River Watershed (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware)
Delaware River Urban Waters: The Power of Partnership
The Delaware is the longest un-dammed river in the United States east of the Mississippi, extending 330 miles from Upstate New York to the mouth of the Delaware Bay. Over 15 million people (roughly 5 percent of the nation's population) rely on the waters of the Delaware River Basin for drinking, agricultural and industrial use.
The Greater Philadelphia Area/Delaware River Watershed Urban Waters Federal Partnership encompasses several major urban areas – from Philadelphia, PA to Wilmington, DE and, including Camden, NJ and Chester, PA – as well as the surrounding suburban and even rural landscape.
The area along the Delaware River throughout the region has historically experienced a significant loss of economic benefits and environmental services provided by the river. Numerous local and regional initiatives are underway to reduce the negative impacts of urbanization on the quality of the river while reclaiming and restoring impacted riverfronts and economically revitalizing depressed areas.
Challenges include:
- stormwater management
- erosion and flooding control
- source water protection
- restoring lost habitat
- enhancing overall waterway health
- protecting community investments
- pursuing environmental justice
- promoting public access
Due to the geographic extent of the Delaware River Watershed and the diverse set of environmental and social issues at hand, restoration requires a larger scale focus while advancing small-scale on-the-ground implementation.