The bulldozer starts by breaking up the concrete top of Dam #1 on the Bushkill Creek. The excavation work was done by Flyway Excavating. Photo by the DRBC.

The mainstem Delaware River is undammed for 330 miles, from its headwaters in New York State to the Delaware Bay where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. However, many of its tributaries are dammed. Some dams are still in use; however, many are obsolete or abandoned, creating problems by impeding movement of various species, imposing stresses on habitats and limiting the ways we can experience our waterways. 

We often talk about the importance of connecting people to the river and to one another but another important connection – or reconnection – that the DRBC supports comes from removing dams. While the DRBC does not have direct jurisdiction over dam removals, we recognize that reconnecting tributaries to the mainstem Delaware River offers multiple benefits to our shared waters and to people.

In August 2005, an environmental incident at the PPL Martins Creek Steam Electric Station released fly ash into the Delaware River and nearby tributaries. As a result, a Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) Team was created that includes representatives from the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection, Pa. Fish and Boat Commission, N.J. Dept. of Environmental Protection and the DRBC. The DRBC serves as the trustee team consultant and the banker of certain NRDA funds, as well as provides in-kind support.

The NRDA Team evaluated the natural resource damages from the fly ash spill and determined that restoration measures are necessary. The Team selected a restoration plan that included several dam removals on Delaware River tributaries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to improve habitat, particularly for freshwater mussels. Freshwater mussels are sensitive to pollution and are considered a good representative species for this damage assessment. 

In Pennsylvania, one of the tributaries selected for dam removals with NRDA funds is the Bushkill Creek, which runs through the Lehigh Valley and enters the Delaware River at Easton, Pa. Three dams on the Bushkill – all considered obsolete or abandoned – are either in the process of being removed or planned for removal this year and next. The DRBC contracted with the Wildlands Conservancy to be the on-the-ground coordinator of these three dam removals.

Work began in July 2023 to remove Dam #1, which is owned by Lafayette College and is the closest to the Delaware River. In addition to the NRDA Team, Wildlands Conservancy and Lafayette College, other project partners include the Bushkill Stream Conservancy, the City of Easton, PA DCNR, Northampton County and UGI. UGI, a gas utility, abandoned and re-routed an exposed gas line upstream of Dam #1 to help facilitate this project.

Dam removals improve water quality in the stream by lowering water temperature, reducing nutrient buildup and improving dissolved oxygen levels. As tributaries are reconnected to the mainstem Delaware River, restoring natural stream flow, fish and freshwater mussels return, sometimes soon after the removal is completed. Increased habitat for mussels is especially important as they further help improve water quality by filter feeding. Removing dams also has multiple community benefits, for example, increasing recreation opportunities and improving public safety. 

The DRBC is proud to be a part of this effort and is appreciative of all the work done by project partners. We look forward to celebrating the complete removal of these three dams on the Bushkill sometime next fall (2024).

The work happening on the Bushkill is not the only game in town. Dam removals – and therefore aquatic habitat restoration, water quality improvements and increased recreational opportunities – are also happening on various tributaries across the Delaware River Basin.

Two examples are the Musconetcong River in N.J. and the Brandywine Creek in Del. and Pa. These efforts are highlighted in our recent OSW Blog, “Removing Barriers and Growing Connections in Our Shared Waters,” which is available at https://www.oursharedwaters.org/post/removing-barriers-and-growing-connections-in-our-shared-waters.    

Water is already running faster over what's left of Dam #1 on the Bushkill Creek after some of the top has been excavated away. Photo by the DRBC.	A close up of what's left of Dam #1 on the Bushkill Creek after some of the top has been excavated away. Photo by the DRBC.	This photo was taken ~5 days after the initial breach of Dam #1 on the Bushkill Creek. A lot of progress in a few short days! Photo by the DRBC.