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
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
Evaluation of long-term trends in hydrologic and water-quality conditions, and estimation of water budgets through 2013, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Evaluation of the streamgage network for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged sites in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and New York
Sensitivity of the projected hydroclimatic environment of the Delaware River basin to formulation of potential evapotranspiration
Estimated use of water in the Delaware River Basin in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 2010
Baseline assessment of groundwater quality in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, 2014
User’s guide for the Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET)
Summary of hydrologic modeling for the Delaware River Basin using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER)
User's manual for the upper Delaware River riverine environmental flow decision support system (REFDSS), Version 1.1.2
A reconnaissance spatial and temporal assessment of methane and inorganic constituents in groundwater in bedrock aquifers, Pike County, Pennsylvania, 2012-13
Baseline groundwater quality from 34 wells in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, 2011 and 2013
Dissolved methane in groundwater, Upper Delaware River Basin, Pennsylvania and New York, 2007-12
Nutrient Enrichment Study Data from the Upper, Middle, and Lower Sections of the Non-Tidal Delaware River, 2009
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: 16 - 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: 47Evaluation of long-term trends in hydrologic and water-quality conditions, and estimation of water budgets through 2013, Chester County, Pennsylvania
An evaluation of trends in hydrologic and water quality conditions and estimation of water budgets through 2013 was done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Chester County Water Resources Authority. Long-term hydrologic, meteorologic, and biologic data collected in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which included streamflow, groundwater levels, surface-water quality, biotic integrityAuthorsRonald A. Sloto, Andrew G. ReifEvaluation of the streamgage network for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged sites in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and New York
The current (2015) streamgage network in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania and New York was evaluated in order to design a network that would meet the hydrologic needs of many partners and serve a variety of purposes and interests, including estimation of streamflow statistics at ungaged sites. This study was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the PeAuthorsRonald A. Sloto, Marla H. Stuckey, Scott A. HoffmanSensitivity of the projected hydroclimatic environment of the Delaware River basin to formulation of potential evapotranspiration
The Delaware River Basin (DRB) encompasses approximately 0.4 % of the area of the United States (U.S.), but supplies water to 5 % of the population. We studied three forested tributaries to quantify the potential climate-driven change in hydrologic budget for two 25-year time periods centered on 2030 and 2060, focusing on sensitivity to the method of estimating potential evapotranspiration (PET) cAuthorsTanja N. Williamson, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Paul C.D. MillyEstimated use of water in the Delaware River Basin in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 2010
The Delaware River Basin (DRB) was selected as a Focus Area Study in 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the USGS National Water Census. The National Water Census is a USGS research program that focuses on national water availability and use and then develops new water accounting tools and assesses water availability at both the regional and national scales. One of the water managAuthorsSusan S. Hutson, Kristin S. Linsey, Russell A. Ludlow, Betzaida Reyes, Jennifer L. ShourdsBaseline assessment of groundwater quality in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, 2014
The Devonian-age Marcellus Shale and the Ordovician-age Utica Shale, geologic formations which have potential for natural gas development, underlie Wayne County and neighboring counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wayne Conservation District, conducted a study to assess baseline shallow groundwater quality in bedrock aquifers in WayneAuthorsLisa A. Senior, Charles A. Cravotta, III, Ronald A. SlotoUser’s guide for the Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET)
IntroductionThe Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET) is a tool for the simulation of streamflow at a daily time step for an ungaged stream location in the Delaware River Basin. DRB-SET was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and funded through WaterSMART as part of the National Water Census, a USGS research program on national water availability and use that developsAuthorsMarla H. Stuckey, James E. UlrichSummary of hydrologic modeling for the Delaware River Basin using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER)
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) is a decision support system for the nontidal part of the Delaware River Basin that provides a consistent and objective method of simulating streamflow under historical, forecasted, and managed conditions. In order to quantify the uncertainty associated with these simulations, however, streamflow and the associated hydroclimatic variaAuthorsTanja N. Williamson, Jeremiah G. Lant, Peter R. Claggett, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Paul C.D. Milly, Hugh L. Nelson, Scott A. Hoffman, Susan J. Colarullo, Jeffrey M. FischerUser's manual for the upper Delaware River riverine environmental flow decision support system (REFDSS), Version 1.1.2
Between 2002 and 2006, the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted field surveys, organized workshops, and performed analysis of habitat for trout and shad in the Upper Delaware River Basin. This work culminated in the development of decision support system software (the Delaware River DSS–DRDSS, Bovee and others, 2007) that works in conjunction with the DAuthorsColin Talbert, Kelly O. Maloney, Chris Holmquist-Johnson, Leanne HansonA reconnaissance spatial and temporal assessment of methane and inorganic constituents in groundwater in bedrock aquifers, Pike County, Pennsylvania, 2012-13
Pike County in northeastern Pennsylvania is underlain by the Devonian-age Marcellus Shale and other shales, formations that have potential for natural gas development. During 2012–13, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pike County Conservation District conducted a reconnaissance study to assess baseline shallow groundwater quality in bedrock aquifers prior to possible shale-gas devAuthorsLisa A. SeniorBaseline groundwater quality from 34 wells in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, 2011 and 2013
Wayne County, Pennsylvania, is underlain by the Marcellus Shale, which currently (2014) is being developed elsewhere in Pennsylvania for natural gas. All residents of largely rural Wayne County rely on groundwater for water supply, primarily from bedrock aquifers (shales and sandstones). This study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of ConservaAuthorsRonald A. SlotoDissolved methane in groundwater, Upper Delaware River Basin, Pennsylvania and New York, 2007-12
The prospect of natural gas development from the Marcellus and Utica Shales has raised concerns about freshwater aquifers being vulnerable to contamination. Well owners are asking questions about subsurface methane, such as, “Does my well water have methane and is it safe to drink the water?” and “Is my well system at risk of an explosion hazard associated with a combustible gas like methane in grAuthorsWilliam M. KappelNutrient Enrichment Study Data from the Upper, Middle, and Lower Sections of the Non-Tidal Delaware River, 2009
The Delaware River Basin Commission is charged with establishing water-quality objectives for the tidal and non-tidal portions of the Delaware River, which include developing nutrient standards that are scientifically defensible. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Delaware River Basin Commission and the Academy of Natural Sciences, studied the effects of nutrient enrichment in theAuthorsRobin A. Brightbill, Robert Limbeck, Erik Silldorff, Heather L. Eggleston - 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.