A collaboration of public and private supporters has identified five projects as this year’s best ways to improve the tidal Delaware River and Bay.

The nonprofit Partnership for the Delaware Estuary formed the Alliance for Comprehensive Ecosystem Solutions, or PDE Alliance, in 2010.  Together they have considered projects from among more than 160 submissions by 45 institutions concerned about the restoration and enhancement of the tidal Delaware River and Bay. 

The projects they picked as this year’s top priorities include two in Pennsylvania, one each in Delaware and New Jersey, and one benefiting both sides of the bay.

“The Alliance was formed to address the dilemma of too many restoration needs and not enough funding to meet them all,” said Jennifer Adkins, executive director of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.  “We don’t have the resources to fully fund these projects ourselves, but by identifying them as priorities we can help to attract other resources to them.” 

Each year, the PDE Alliance strives to include at least one project from each state on its list of priorities.  This year, that list includes two projects in Philadelphia: the creation of three acres of wetlands where Penn Treaty Park meets the Delaware River in Fishtown, and a four-acre stream and wetland restoration on Cresheim Creek near West Mt. Airy.

“In addition to providing fish habitat and benefitting local neighborhoods, restoring streams and wetlands in and around Philadelphia helps to keep our drinking water clean,” said Howard Neukrug, commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department and member of the PDE Alliance.

With its Green City, Clean Waters program, Philadelphia has become a national leader in using green infrastructure like plants and trees to protect water quality.

On the priority list in Delaware this year is a project that would create a wetlands park near the Christina River in Wilmington, providing habitat for fish and wildlife and opportunities for recreation and education in nearby communities. 

This wetlands park would also counteract flooding in the historic neighborhood of Southbridge by helping to absorb floodwaters.  With increasing sea levels, wetland restoration projects like this will be increasingly important for preventing flooding in low-lying communities.

For the third year in a row, the PDE Alliance has identified Delaware Bay oyster restoration as a priority project.  Past efforts to replenish reefs in Delaware Bay (mostly off southern New Jersey) have shown a $25 return for every $1 invested, helping to bolster the region’s sustainable shellfish industry.  With each adult oyster filtering up to 50 gallons of water per day, oyster restoration efforts also provide clean water for Delaware Bay.  Together, these make oyster restoration one of the best values for the money and a top funding need.

The PDE Alliance also occasionally considers research projects aimed at improving conservation efforts, like the Juvenile Red Knot Monitoring Project selected as a priority this year.  The red knot is a shorebird that stops in Delaware Bay to feast on horseshoe crab eggs during its spring migration.  It is currently being considered for inclusion in the federal Endangered Species Program, and it was added to the State of New Jersey’s endangered species list last February.

“We know a great deal about red knots, but we still have a major gap in our knowledge about where the juveniles winter during their first year,” said Gregory Breese of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  “This project will provide this important piece of the puzzle by using innovative technology to track them during their first year of migration.”

The Red Knot Monitoring Project is a collaborative effort of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Delaware Bay Estuary Project.

Selection by the PDE Alliance does not guarantee funding for a restoration project.  It does, however, raise awareness about the region’s greatest environmental needs, and that can lead to funding.  For example, last year over $250,000 was devoted to priority projects, due in part to their selection by the PDE Alliance.

Projects not selected by the PDE Alliance remain in a database called the Project Registry of the Delaware Estuary.  This database allows potential funders and partners to browse restoration projects in search of one that suits their individual budget, mission, and timeframe. 

The Project Registry serves as a “one-stop shop” for those interested in investing in the restoration of the Delaware River and Bay, whether they are foundations, corporations, nonprofit organizations, or other entities.

Anyone can submit a restoration project for future consideration by the PDE Alliance or others.  To do so, visit DelawareEstuary.org and click on the left-hand logo for the Project Registry.  The PDE Alliance typically convenes in the spring to consider projects entered into the registry during the previous year, after they have been vetted by expert reviewers.

The PDE Alliance is made up of 12 member-organizations representing public and private interests.  These include: the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Delaware River Basin Commission, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, DuPont, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Philadelphia Water Department, PSEG Nuclear, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the William Penn Foundation.

For more information call the PDE at (800) 445-4935, extension 107.

7/23/2012