By: Emily Baldauff, Director of Watershed Programs at Friends of the Upper Delaware River
Flood mitigation is critically important to a community as it safeguards residents’ health and safety, protects homes, businesses, and infrastructure, and reduces the devastating economic impacts of flooding which the Upper Delaware Region is subject to on an annual basis. Effective flood mitigation also preserves natural resources, recovers aquatic passage, improves stormwater management, and strengthens community resilience, ensuring that recovery is faster, less costly, and more sustainable over the long term. By investing in prevention and preparedness, communities can foster safety, stability, and confidence in their future while maintaining a high quality of life.
Over the past several years, Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR) and Trout Unlimited (TU) have worked together to secure local, state, and federal funding to reconnect streams and build flood-resilient infrastructure throughout the Upper Delaware River Watershed. This past summer, FUDR and TU partnered with the Town of Hancock, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to install a new flood-resilient culvert on Fish Creek in Delaware County, NY — successfully reconnecting more than one mile of stream habitat while also reducing local flooding risks and strengthening safety and quality of life for nearby residents.
Fish Creek Culvert Before
Fish Creek Culvert After
Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR) strives to ensure that every project strengthens local communities while conserving and enhancing the region’s natural resources and wildlife. One key strategy is aquatic passage reconnection. Restoring aquatic passage keeps rivers and streams healthy for both people and wildlife by replacing outdated culverts and barriers with structures that allow water and fish to move freely. These improvements restore natural stream flow, enhance fish habitat, and reduce the risk of flooding and road damage during major storms. In doing so, aquatic passage projects not only protect local ecosystems but also create safer communities, lower repair costs, and support recreation and tourism that depend on healthy rivers.
This project, and others like it completed through partnerships between FUDR, TU, and others, would not be possible without funding programs like the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund and state-level grant programs dedicated to strengthening communities and conserving natural resources. These funding sources play a critical role in helping communities build resilience, restore natural habitats, and protect local wildlife. By working together with funders, government agencies, and local partners, FUDR, TU, and other partners can deliver projects that not only conserve and enhance our region’s natural resources but also strengthen the safety, economy, and quality of life for the communities that call the Upper Delaware River Watershed home.