The Institute launched its Delaware River Basin Program in 2008 to promote legislative strategies for ecosystem restoration for the four-state watershed in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Beginning in the Catskill Mountains and ending in the Delaware Bay, the Delaware River and estuary system is a defining feature of the Mid-Atlantic landscape. The 13,000-square-mile Delaware River watershed boasts eight million inhabitants, and provides drinking water to 15 million people, including over half the residents of New York City.

The Institute has partnered with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation on the Delaware River Basin program, and current work surrounds facilitating a regional environmental legislative agenda – as bold and comprehensive as other place-based water programs.

Additionally, the Institute assists efforts in the community to raise the profile of the river basin and to support the bipartisan Congressional Delaware River Basin Task Force in becoming a stronger voice and more effective agent for water quality improvement in the region.

The Institute is currently active in coalition-building in the Delaware region to support a coordinated legislative strategy. In order to learn more about the restoration needs in the region, the Institute and NFWF facilitated several stakeholder meetings in the watershed throughout the summer and fall of 2008. Synthesis of these meetings is available below. The information gathered through these discussions informed our next steps in promoting the restoration of the Deleware River watershed.

By combining lessons learned through the stakeholder meetings with the interests and concerns of the Delaware River Basin Task Force, the Institute and NFWF informed the development of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4698).  The bill was introduced by Congressman Mike Castle (DE) on February 25, 2010, and cosponsors currently include Reps. Rush Holt (NJ), Charles Dent (PA), Joe Sestak (PA), and Maurice Hinchey (NY).

Discussions are currently underway to introduce a companion bill in the Senate as the House bill awaits committee action.

Timeline and Resources:

- In-watershed stakeholder meetings - Summer/Fall 2008 (List of Participants, Summary)
- DRBTF co-chairs host roundtable discussion with FWS, EPA - Summer 2009
- DRBTF Congressional staff briefing - February 19, 2010 (Power Point Presentation)
- DRBTF co-chairs press release for bill introduction - February 25, 2010
- Rep. Castle hosts Delaware roundtable event with stakeholders - June 7, 2010 (press release, news clippings)

- One-page fact sheet on the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary letter of support
- The Nature Conservancy letter of support
- Ducks Unlimited letter of support
- White Clay Creek National Wild & Scenic River letter of support
- American Rivers letter of support
- Senators and Representatives in the Delaware River Basin - Contact Sheet
- Congressional map of the Delaware River Basin