Delaware River Basin Active
Testing New Water Quality Monitoring Methods in Philadelphia
USGS demonstrates advanced technologies during a stream gage visit
Paired Air and Water Temperature Monitoring
Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS)
Hurricane Henri Water Footprint Data Visualization
As precipitation accumulated over DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, and MA, stream water levels increased above flood stage in several locations.
Balancing Water Availability and Quality in the Delaware River Basin
New data visualization story show how new USGS science and monitoring can inform water management
Philadelphia Water Resources Monitoring Program
Stream water quality -- pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, temperature, & turbidity -- in near-real-time
Philadelphia Area Groundwater Level Network
Latest water levels in Philadelphia area aquifers, via Groundwater Watch
In Pennsylvania, the USGS's water-resources roots date back to the late 1800's, with the initiation of streamflow gaging on the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers and assessments of groundwater resources near Philadelphia. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center continues to provide scientific information about the water resources of the Delaware River Basin, in cooperation with regional and local agencies and stakeholders, and with other USGS Water Science Centers and national programs.
Recent Highlights
- Factsheet - Integrated Water Science Basins: Water Priorities for the Nation
- Publication: Hydro-Climatic Drought
- Publication: Low-flow Patterns, Drivers & Trends
- Factsheet - Integrated Water Availability Assessments: Water Priorities for the Nation
- Next Generation Water Observing System: Delaware River Basin
- Pooling Resources Across Organizations—Multisource Water-Quality Data for the Delaware River Basin
- Online tools for watershed managers: Northeast US
Water science for the Delaware River Basin
Next Generation Water Observing System: Delaware River Basin
Water Quality of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and Tributary Streams, New York and Pennsylvania
Water Budgets and GIS-Based Ground-Water Availability Analysis for the Delaware River Basin
Delaware River Basin Study Unit Description
Delaware River Basin (DelR) NAWQA Study Unit
Datasets
Delaware River Basin multimedia
Fairmount Waterworks, east bank of Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, PA
Fairmount Waterworks, east bank of Schuylkill River, Aquarium Drive, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. View looking northeast at waterworks from across Schuylkill River. Photo taken December, 1984.
Recent and other selected water science publications for or related to the Delaware River Basin
Pooling resources across organizations — Multisource water-quality data for the Delaware River Basin
Identification of management thresholds of urban development in support of aquatic biodiversity conservation
Water priorities for the nation—The U.S. Geological Survey next generation water observing system
Reduced soil macropores and forest cover reduce warm-season baseflow below ecological thresholds in the upper Delaware River Basin
Sensitivity of streamflow simulation in the Delaware River Basin to forecasted land‐cover change for 2030 and 2060
A preliminary assessment of hyperspectral remote sensing technology for mapping submerged aquatic vegetation in the Upper Delaware River National Parks
Using United States Geological Survey stream gages to predict flow and temperature conditions to maintain freshwater mussel habitat
Changes in freshwater mussel communities linked to legacy pollution in the Lower Delaware River
Freshwater mussel salvage and relocation at the Pond Eddy Bridge, Delaware River, New York and Pennsylvania
Baseline assessment of groundwater quality in Pike County, Pennsylvania, 2015
Pharmaceuticals in water, fish and osprey nestlings in Delaware River and Bay
Estimated fecal coliform bacteria concentrations using near real-time continuous water-quality and streamflow data from five stream sites in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 2007–16
Data & Tools (Web Apps)
Delaware River basin software
News about or related to the Delaware River Basin
Selected Delaware River Basin partners are listed below.
Many other partners have cooperated with USGS on local studies within the basin.
- Overview
In Pennsylvania, the USGS's water-resources roots date back to the late 1800's, with the initiation of streamflow gaging on the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers and assessments of groundwater resources near Philadelphia. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center continues to provide scientific information about the water resources of the Delaware River Basin, in cooperation with regional and local agencies and stakeholders, and with other USGS Water Science Centers and national programs.
Recent Highlights
- Factsheet - Integrated Water Science Basins: Water Priorities for the Nation
- Publication: Hydro-Climatic Drought
- Publication: Low-flow Patterns, Drivers & Trends
- Factsheet - Integrated Water Availability Assessments: Water Priorities for the Nation
- Next Generation Water Observing System: Delaware River Basin
- Pooling Resources Across Organizations—Multisource Water-Quality Data for the Delaware River Basin
- Online tools for watershed managers: Northeast US
- Science
Water science for the Delaware River Basin
Next Generation Water Observing System: Delaware River Basin
The USGS Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) provides high-fidelity, real-time data on water quantity and quality necessary to support modern water prediction and decision support systems for water emergencies and daily water operations. The Delaware River Basin was the first NGWOS basin, providing an opportunity to implement the program in a nationally important, complex interstate...Filter Total Items: 16Water Quality of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and Tributary Streams, New York and Pennsylvania
Water-quality samples were collected from the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and its tributaries during the period October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2007, to document existing water quality, determine relations between land use and water quality, and identify areas of water-quality concern. A tiered water-quality monitoring framework was used, with the tiers consisting of inWater Budgets and GIS-Based Ground-Water Availability Analysis for the Delaware River Basin
The purpose of this project was to provide a basin-wide vision for long-range goals and provide direction for guiding future water-resource management to the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) for updating its comprehensive plan. A systematic approach was developed for evaluating existing and future water withdrawals relating to available supply and environmental requirements.Delaware River Basin Study Unit Description
The Delaware River drainage basin encompasses more than 12,700 mi2 (square miles) and includes parts of Pennsylvania (6,465 mi2), New Jersey (2,969 mi2), New York (2,363 mi2), and Delaware (968 mi2). The study-unit area includes the entire drainage basin, except for 770 mi2 of the Coastal Plain in the State of Delaware and the tidal portions of the Delaware Estuary. About 7.2 million people live...Delaware River Basin (DelR) NAWQA Study Unit
The Delaware River Basin (DELR) NAWQA study began in 1997 and is a multi-district effort. Coordinated from our West Trenton, New Jersey office, the study also includes paticipation by our Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Troy, New York offices. During the first two years of the study (1997-1998) staff was hired, a liaison committee was started, existing data was analyzed, and plans for three years... - Data
Datasets
- Multimedia
Delaware River Basin multimedia
Fairmount Waterworks, east bank of Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, PA
Fairmount Waterworks, east bank of Schuylkill River, Aquarium Drive, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. View looking northeast at waterworks from across Schuylkill River. Photo taken December, 1984.
- Publications
Recent and other selected water science publications for or related to the Delaware River Basin
Filter Total Items: 47Pooling resources across organizations — Multisource water-quality data for the Delaware River Basin
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently launched a pilot Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA) in the Delaware River Basin to explore, test, and refine systems and processes for assessing water availability for human and ecological uses based on water monitoring data. Water-quality monitoring provides citizens, managers, and scientists with the information needed to evaluate the healtAuthorsJennifer C. Murphy, Megan E. ShodaIdentification of management thresholds of urban development in support of aquatic biodiversity conservation
Urbanization degrades stream ecosystems and causes loss of bodiversity. Using benthic macroinvertebrates as a surragate for overall aquatic diversity, we conducted a series of analytical approaches to derive management thresholds of urban development designed to link ecological responses to the primary management goal of protecting aquatic diversity in streams within the Delaware Water Gap NationaAuthorsCraig D. Snyder, John A. YoungWater priorities for the nation—The U.S. Geological Survey next generation water observing system
The challenges of providing safe and sustainable water supplies for human and ecological uses and protecting lives and property during water emergencies are well recognized. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) plays an essential role in meeting these challenges through its observational networks and renowned water science and research activities (National Academies of Science, Engineering, and MedicAuthorsSandra M. Eberts, Chad R. Wagner, Michael D. WoodsideReduced soil macropores and forest cover reduce warm-season baseflow below ecological thresholds in the upper Delaware River Basin
We examined the impacts of changes in land cover and soil conditions on the flow regime of the upper Delaware River Basin using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER). We simulated flows for two periods, circa 1600 and 1940, at three sites using the same temperature and precipitation conditions: the East Branch (EB), West Branch (WB), and mainstem Delaware River at CallicoAuthorsTheodore A. Endreny, Peter Yong Seuk Kwon, Tanja N. Williamson, Richard EvansSensitivity of streamflow simulation in the Delaware River Basin to forecasted land‐cover change for 2030 and 2060
In order to simulate the potential effect of forecasted land‐cover change on streamflow and water availability, there has to be confidence that the hydrologic model used is sensitive to small changes in land cover (<10%) and that this land‐cover change exceeds the inherent uncertainty in forecasted conditions. To investigate this, a 26‐year streamflow record was simulated for 33 basins (54–928 km2AuthorsTanja N. Williamson, Peter R. ClaggettA preliminary assessment of hyperspectral remote sensing technology for mapping submerged aquatic vegetation in the Upper Delaware River National Parks
Hyperspectral remote sensing of submerged aquatic vegetation is a complex and difficult process that is affected by unique constraints on the energy flow profile near and below the water surface. In addition, shallow, winding, lotic systems, such as the Upper Delaware River, present additional remote sensing problems in the form of specular reflectance, variable depth and constituents in the wateAuthorsE. Terrence Slonecker, Siddiq Kalaly, John A. Young, Mary Ann Furedi, Kelly O. Maloney, Don Hamilton, Richard Evans, Elizabeth ZineckerUsing United States Geological Survey stream gages to predict flow and temperature conditions to maintain freshwater mussel habitat
Habitat conditions necessary to support freshwater mussels can be difficult to characterize and predict, particularly for rare or endangered species such as the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon. In this study, we evaluate flow and temperature conditions in three areas of the mainstem Delaware River known to consistently support A. heterodon, and we develop predictive mAuthorsJeffrey C. Cole, Phillip A. Townsend, Keith N. Eshleman, Barbara St. John White, Heather S. Galbraith, William A. LellisChanges in freshwater mussel communities linked to legacy pollution in the Lower Delaware River
Freshwater mussels are among the most-imperiled organisms worldwide, although they provide a variety of important functions in the streams and rivers they inhabit. Among Atlantic-slope rivers, the Delaware River is known for its freshwater mussel diversity and biomass; however, limited data are available on the freshwater mussel fauna in the lower, non-tidal portion of the river. This section of tAuthorsCarrie J. Blakeslee, Erik L. Silldorff, Heather S. GalbraithFreshwater mussel salvage and relocation at the Pond Eddy Bridge, Delaware River, New York and Pennsylvania
In a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, freshwater mussels were salvaged and relocated from the anticipated zone of impact for the Pond Eddy Bridge construction project in New York and Pennsylvania. Five 25-meter (m) by 25-m cells along the Pennsylvania bank of the Delaware River were sampled in three generally straightAuthorsHeather S. Galbraith, Carrie J. Blakeslee, Jeffrey C. ColeBaseline assessment of groundwater quality in Pike County, Pennsylvania, 2015
The Devonian-age Marcellus Shale and the Ordovician-age Utica Shale, which have the potential for natural gas development, underlie Pike County and neighboring counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pike County Conservation District, conducted a study that expanded on a previous more limited 2012 study to assess baseline shallow groundwaAuthorsLisa A. Senior, Charles A. CravottaPharmaceuticals in water, fish and osprey nestlings in Delaware River and Bay
Exposure of wildlife to Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is likely to occur but studies of risk are limited. One exposure pathway that has received attention is trophic transfer of APIs in a water-fish-osprey food chain. Samples of water, fish plasma and osprey plasma were collected from Delaware River and Bay, and analyzed for 21 APIs. Only 2 of 21 analytes exceeded method detection limitAuthorsThomas G. Bean, Barnett A. Rattner, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Daniel D. Day, S. Rebekah Burket, Bryan W. Brooks, Samuel P. Haddad, William W. BowermanEstimated fecal coliform bacteria concentrations using near real-time continuous water-quality and streamflow data from five stream sites in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 2007–16
Several streams used for recreational activities, such as fishing, swimming, and boating, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, are known to have periodic elevated concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria, a type of bacteria used to indicate the potential presence of fecally related pathogens that may pose health risks to humans exposed through water contact. The availability of near real-time continuAuthorsLisa A. Senior - Web Tools
Data & Tools (Web Apps)
- Software
Delaware River basin software
- News
News about or related to the Delaware River Basin
- Partners
Selected Delaware River Basin partners are listed below.
Many other partners have cooperated with USGS on local studies within the basin.