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Delaware River Basin Commission Releases 2025 Annual Report On The State Of The Delaware River Watershed

On February 21, the Delaware River Basin Commission released its 2025 State of the Basin report, which provides an overview of the health of the water resources and key species of the Delaware River Basin, along with factors impacting the Basin including water pollution and climate change.

"I am pleased to say the state of the Delaware River Basin is generally good and improving in several key indicators," said DRBC Executive Director Kristen Bowman Kavanagh. "This report – our fourth since 2004 – helps the Commission to benchmark conditions and track progress toward our water resources goals, ensuring we continue to meet the diverse needs of our region."

The 2025 State of the Basin report provides a snapshot of 36 indicators for watersheds and landscapes, water quantity, climate change, water quality and living resources and includes a rating and a directional trend for most indicators.

Groundwater availability, for example, received a high rating and is trending positively, thanks to proactive management strategies.

Lower ratings or declining trends for some indicators, for example, impervious cover, salinity and invasive species, show us where additional focus and study are needed.

Part of the DRBC's proactive management strategy for the overall health of the river is continuing the Delaware Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Program.

Launched in 1967, and better known as "the boat run," it is one of the world's most enduring water quality monitoring programs – as managed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The DRBC contracts with DNREC to take water samples from the mouth of the Delaware Bay up to the head of tide in Trenton, N.J., with stops at 22 different stations to draw samples along the way.

"Delaware's partnership with the DRBC is integral to our work at continually upgrading our state's water quality," said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. "That partnership doesn't just track with the 'boat run.' Delaware also joins with our neighboring Basin states comprising the DRBC to manage, protect and improve the water resources of the Basin for more than 14.2 million people – including more than 800,000 Delawareans who depend on the Delaware River Basin for public water supply, recreation, agriculture, and industry."

"While our water resources are greatly improved today, there is more to do, and this work is not possible to do alone. We thank our Basin state colleagues, federal agencies, partner organizations and stakeholders for their collective efforts and commitment to stewardship and sustainability," said Bowman Kavanagh.

Click Here for a copy of the report.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Delaware River Basin Commission website. Click Here to sign up for regulator updates. Follow DRBC on Twitter. Visit them on YouTube.

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