Watershed Protection
Delaware Basin Water Policy Review
With support from the William Penn Foundation, River Network performed a basinwide comparative analysis of a number of Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act tools, policies and programs in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, specifically as they relate to the Delaware River Basin. This 2017 report identifies gaps and opportunities for stronger and more effective water programs, and examines related programs implemented by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).
Because the Delaware River flows through four states before reaching the Atlantic Ocean, the water policies developed by each of those states, as well as by the DRBC, have an impact on the river's health and its ability to support sensitive uses in each and every downstream town and city. The cumulative impacts of different land uses that cause nonpoint source pollution, wastewater and stormwater pollution, and loss of wetlands, riparian habitat and buffers are evident in the degraded health of the river and its inhabitants. Better implementation of and increased public involvement in existing water programs can address these impacts.
Published: February 2017
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