Summer Adventures on the Delaware River
By Rita Yelda, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
Summertime is almost here which means it’s time to get outside to soak in the sun and splash around in the water. Fortunately – for tourists and those living near the 330 miles of the Delaware River in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Delaware – there’s no shortage of summertime adventure. The Delaware River has so much to explore and provides endless opportunities to kayak, hunt, camp, bird watch, hike, boat, swim, fish, and walk along the banks. The Delaware also offers historical and cultural sites to enjoy, such as the location of George Washington’s famous crossing during the American Revolutionary War in 1776. The river brings us together, takes us outdoors, and creates summer memories that last forever.
There are many ways to experience the river, as the Delaware River Basin stretches across a wide variety of geologic structures, each providing a distinctive perspective to the landscape to take in this summer. For example, the Delaware Water Gap is more than a mile wide and cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge with breath-taking views of mountains surrounding the river. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is open to the public and covers about 40 miles in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Another example is the Delaware Bay in New Jersey and Delaware that consists of warm, calm waters, sandy beaches, and spawning horseshoe crabs.
For bird watchers and anglers, the Delaware River is a summertime haven. The river is one of four major bird migration flyways in North America for raptors, waterfowl, songbirds, and shorebirds. The area is an important stop in the spring and fall migration route used by over 250 species of birds, and more than a million birds stop and feed along the Delaware each year. The 120-mile stretch of the Delaware River from Hancock, NY to the Delaware Water Gap is also one of the largest and most important inland bald eagle wintering habitats in the Northeast.
Fishing along the Delaware River and its tributaries is a commonly enjoyed activity from the headwaters down to the bay because there’s such a variety of fish – the tidal portion of the river alone contains four dozen species. American shad are plentiful during the summer as they begin their lives in freshwater like the Delaware River before migrating to the ocean during colder months.
On top of this, the river’s recreation is a significant economic driver for the region that brings in about $1.2 billion annually. Sadly, threats such as pollution and the impacts of climate change could inhibit all the fun things we love to do in the watershed, and the recreation economy that it supports.
But we have a chance to make a difference. The governors of the four states of the Delaware River watershed all care about protecting our water – they just need a chance to show how much. The newest of the four, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey stepped out in favor of clean water, mentioning the Delaware River in his State of the State speech. The Delaware River is extremely important to New Jersey and the other watershed states. Therefore, we are asking the Governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware to come together as leaders and sign a pledge and stand up in partnership for the national treasure they share: the Delaware River. We are asking them to stand up 4 the Delaware.
Tell your governor you’re one of the 15 million reasons to stand up 4 the Delaware.