Coalition of Over 200 Organizations Brings Watershed Partners Together to Shape the Future of the Delaware River Basin
Newark, DE — The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed (CDRW) convened its 14th Delaware River Watershed Forum in Newark, Delaware, on Tuesday, September 29, and Wednesday, September 30. More than 250 people representing organizations and communities across the five Delaware River Watershed states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, and Maryland gathered for two days, focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the watershed.
The Forum brought together conservation organizations, community leaders, scientists, practitioners, advocates, and other watershed partners working across the Delaware River Basin. The Delaware River Watershed provides drinking water to 14.2 million people, approximately 4% of the U.S. population, including nearly 800,000 Delaware residents.
“The strength of the Delaware River Watershed is rooted in the strength of the people and organizations working across it,” said Meagan Birkenmaier, Director of the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed. “The Forum is one of the places where that network comes together most powerfully, creating space for important conversations, new connections, and the exchange of ideas that can move our work forward. As we think about what comes next for the watershed, these conversations and this network will be essential to shaping a future where the Delaware River and the communities that depend on it can thrive.”
“The Delaware River Watershed is critical to the mid-Atlantic region, providing over 14 million people with clean drinking water and generating more than $25 billion each year for local economies,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud to see the Forum come together to produce policies that will shape a strong future of the watershed and push back against ongoing efforts to weaken conservation. I look forward to continuing efforts to strengthen and protect this vital resource.”
The 14th Delaware River Watershed Forum, themed “Shaping the Future of Our Watershed,” brought a range of pressing watershed issues to the forefront, from climate resilience and community planning to recreational access, water quality, restoration, and policies that protect the region’s land and water resources. Across the Forum, conversations focused on what it will take to address these needs in practice, including how communities can prepare for increasing flood risk, how conservation projects can be sustained over the long term, and how public access and stewardship can be strengthened. The discussions provided an opportunity to consider what is working, where gaps remain, and how the watershed community can build on that work moving forward.
"Every single day, conservation efforts across the Delaware River Watershed are bringing us closer to creating a vibrant, healthy future where people and wildlife can thrive for generations to come. It’s inspiring that 250 of the leading advocates across the basin’s four-state region are coming together to forge solutions that will help secure clean water, restore healthy habitat, and support thriving communities,” said Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.
“The Delaware River Watershed provides vital resources that connect communities and ecosystems throughout our multi-state region, and protecting its health requires a true team effort,” said Delaware State Sen. Stephanie Hansen. “That means bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, building consensus, and refining our environmental protection and conservation efforts to develop solutions that are balanced, focused, and thoughtful. We’ve made tremendous progress towards protecting its natural resources and identifying challenges, and we must continue building on that work to ensure a healthy and vibrant watershed for generations to come.”
"We were fortunate to have the Forum in Delaware this year," said Jen Adkins, Executive Director of the Delaware Nature Society. "Collaboration with others upstream is particularly important here since we are at the bottom of the Delaware River Watershed and reliant on partners in other states to keep many of our waterways clean and healthy."
Forum agenda and speaker information available here.
Contact: Meagan Birkenmaier, Meagan.Schaefer@delriverwatershed.org, 609-330-4883