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Delaware River Basin Commission director celebrates river’s 'River of the Year' honor and underscores regional water role
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Summary
Kristen Bowman Cavanaugh, executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, celebrated the Delaware River’s designation as Pennsylvania’s River of the Year, outlined the river’s role supplying drinking water to more than 14.2 million people and described DRBC efforts on water quality, drought planning and emerging threats.
Kristen Bowman Cavanaugh, executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, said onstage at a celebration this week that she was "very excited and honored to be here to celebrate the third time the Delaware River has been named Pennsylvania's River of the Year."
Cavanaugh described the river's scale and the services it provides, saying, "The Delaware River flows freely along its entire 330 miles, supporting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that in turn support outdoor recreation and related economic opportunities," and noting the Sojourn Paddling event taking place the same week.
"The river also supports power generation that keeps the lights in our houses on and powers our businesses and industries," she said, and added that the river is "a critical drinking water source for over 14,200,000 people," while also supporting agriculture, fisheries, commerce and navigation.
Cavanaugh placed those uses in the context of the Delaware River Basin Commission's work. "Since 1961, the Delaware River Basin Commission has worked to provide these multiple uses," she said, describing the commission as "a federal interstate commission with members consisting of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and the federal government" that collaborates with state, local and nonprofit partners to manage, protect and improve basin water resources.
She credited six decades of DRBC programs with producing cleaner, more protected waters and said the commission's water-supply planning has improved resilience through an "effective drought management program" and a better understanding of future threats, including sea-level rise, changing precipitation patterns and emerging contaminants.
Cavanaugh also emphasized the river's regional connectivity: "From its headwaters in Hancock, New York to the Atlantic Ocean, the Delaware River connects all of us who live, work, and play in the basin," she said, noting that downstream communities rely on upper-basin water quality and upstream communities rely on migratory fisheries that benefit from estuary improvements.
The remarks closed with thanks from Cavanaugh and DRBC commissioners and staff. The transcript of her comments did not specify the event's date or location.
