DRBC Milestones/Accomplishments

Years before there was an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or a federal Clean Water Act, or even an environmental movement, a little government agency was hard at work restoring life to one of America's most polluted rivers. A pioneer in environmental protection, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) got its start on October 27, 1961, the day the Delaware River Basin Compact became law.

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The lower Delaware was an open sewer at the height of World War II. Along some reaches the fouled water was devoid of the oxygen needed to support fish and other aquatic life. A major DRBC goal in its early days was to bring the river back to life.

Chart showing improvement in dissolved oxygen levels in the Delaware River.
The data in this chart were generated from sampling on the
Delaware River at the Ben Franklin Bridge, which connects
Philadelphia, Pa. and Camden, N.J., in July. It shows a steady
improvement in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels since the
mid-1960s. Increased levels of dissolved oxygen make the river
a healthier environment for fish to live.
Blazing a new trail in water pollution abatement, the DRBC in 1967 adopted the most comprehensive water quality standards of any interstate river basin in the nation. The standards were tied to an innovative waste load allocation program which factored in the waste assimilative capacity of the tidal Delaware River. Interior Secretary Stewart Udall declared at the time that only the Delaware among the nation's river basins was moving into "high gear" in its pollution abatement efforts.

A year later the DRBC adopted regulations for implementing and enforcing the standards, prompting the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration to observe: "This is the only place in the country where such a procedure is being followed. Hopefully, it will provide a model for other regulatory agencies."

Today, the clean-up of the Delaware is hailed as one of the world's top water quality success stories. The river now supports year-round fish populations. Pleasure craft marinas line waterfronts once visited only by commercial vessels. The river and many of its tributaries are flanked by attractive greenways and parks.

The clean-up of the Delaware and numerous other DRBC accomplishments over four decades are rooted in the Delaware River Basin Compact's chief canon: that the waters and related resources of the Delaware River Basin are regional assets vested with local, state, and national interests for which there is a joint responsibility.

DRBC Accomplishments and Milestones Since 1961

1962 - The DRBC approves its first Comprehensive Plan, which includes a dozen multi-purpose reservoir projects, including Tocks Island, a giant impoundment planned for the Delaware River main stem.

1962 - James F. Wright is appointed as the DRBC's first executive director.

1965 - The DRBC declares a state of water supply emergency and unleashes a fundamental tenet of the Compact -- to settle water disputes through an administrative process. The DRBC's role is pivotal in negotiating successful, out-of-court policy on emergency water allocations.

1966 - The DRBC publishes its Delaware River recreation maps, which instantly become as popular as paddles with canoeists. The maps are updated in 1979, 1991, and 2007.

1968 - The Commission sets national precedent in its water pollution abatement campaign, adopting regulations to implement water quality standards for the Delaware Estuary that are tied to an innovative wasteload allocation program.

1971 - Construction of Beltzville Reservoir at the headwaters of the Lehigh River is completed at a cost of $23 million. Releases from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' impoundment (plus releases from Blue Marsh Reservoir, then under construction) help improve stream flows, enhance water quality, and protect fisheries.

1973 - The DRBC adopts a regulation requiring metering of customer connections of new, major water supply systems, kicking off a water conservation campaign years before it becomes fashionable with other agencies.

1975 - In a split vote, DRBC Commissioners recommend that Congress not appropriate funds for the construction of the Tocks Island Dam project.

1976 - The DRBC completes flood plain mapping for 119 municipalities, helping them to qualify for federal flood insurance. Flood plain mapping is completed for 32 additional communities in ensuing years.

1977 - Gerald M. Hansler is sworn in as the Commission's second executive director.

1977 - DRBC regulations take effect to restrict development in the 100-year flood plain and prohibit development in the floodway.

1978 - Two reaches of the Delaware River totalling over 100 miles are added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The DRBC helps draft the enabling federal legislation.

1981 - Fred Lewis, who operates the only commercial shad fishery on the non-tidal Delaware River, nets 6,392 shad -- the biggest catch since 1896. The return of this popular game fish is linked directly to water quality improvement.

1981 - The Level B Study, part of a planning process to guide the Commission in reformulating its long-range master plan in view of the Tocks Island decision, is released. Water conservation is a keystone of the program, which also recommends enlarging existing reservoirs to bolster water supply storage.

1983 - After four years of intense deliberations, the Interstate Water Management ("Good Faith") Report is approved. It makes mid-course corrections to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decree that apportioned the waters of the Delaware and lays the framework for a drought operating plan. The plan is used successfully during two water supply emergencies in the 1980s.

1985 - The DRBC adopts a basinwide well registration program, an integral component of its rapidly expanding ground water management campaign.

1985 - Construction begins on Merrill Creek Reservoir, designed to provide make-up water for riverbank electric generating plants during low flow conditions on the Delaware. The Commission directed in-basin electrical utilities to build the $217 million impoundment or face cutbacks during droughts. It became operational in 1988.

1986 - The Commission's water conservation program hits full stride with adoption of regulations requiring the source metering of large water withdrawals. In the next six years the adoption of additional regulations and programs establish the DRBC as an international leader in the water conservation arena.

1987 - Over 56,000 Delaware River shad are landed during a nine-week period between Hancock, N.Y., and Yardley, Pa., generating an estimated $1.6 million in recreational dollars.

1988 - The Delaware Bay and tidal reach of the Delaware River are added to the National Estuary Program, a project set up to protect estuarine systems of national significance.

1989 - A Pennsylvania state record is broken when a 53-pound, 13-ounce striped bass is caught in the Delaware River off Chester, Pa. A year later a New Jersey state record falls when a 38-pound, four-ounce muskellunge is caught in the Delaware River near the Delaware Water Gap.

1992 - The DRBC adopts special regulations to protect the high water quality of the upper and middle Delaware "Scenic River" reaches.

1993 - Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the DRBC completes flood stage forecast mapping for a 65-mile reach of the Delaware River from Belvidere, N.J. downstream to Trenton.

1993 - The Maurice River and several tributaries -- including Menantico and Muskee Creeks and the Manumuskin River -- are added to the National Wild and Scenic River System.

1995 - A DRBC-sponsored project designed to prevent or reduce Delaware River flooding in the Port Jervis, N.Y., area is completed.

1995 - As it has for over three decades, the Commission plays host to foreign delegations as part of an informal program to help friends overseas solve water-related problems. Delegations from more than 20 nations have toured the basin and visited the DRBC's offices over the years.

1995 - Over a half million shad swim up the Delaware to spawn.

1996 - The DRBC turns 35 and establishes 23 objectives or goals to be pursued by the Commissioners and staff, the result of a "retreat" process to define and develop policy-level strategy for the future.

1996 - The DRBC adopts regulations governing the discharge of toxic pollutants from wastewater treatment plants to the tidal Delaware River. Numerous toxic substances, some carcinogenic, are covered under the new rules.

1998 - Regulations to protect limited ground water resources in heavily populated portions of southeastern Pennsylvania are adopted by the Commission.

1998 - Carol R. Collier is sworn in as the Commission's third executive director, becoming the first woman to head an interstate-federal compact agency.

1998 - Fish populations in the lower Delaware River and Bay show a sharp increase, due in large part to a significant improvement in water quality.

1999 - The Commission amends its Ground Water Protected Area Regulations for Southeastern Pennsylvania, placing withdrawal limits on 62 additional watersheds.

1999 - The four basin state governors - Thomas R. Carper (Del.), Christine Todd Whitman (N.J.), George E. Pataki (N.Y.), and Thomas J. Ridge (Pa.) - sign a resolution directing the Commission to develop a new comprehensive Water Resources Plan for the Delaware River Basin. The resolution challenges the basin community to play an active role in drawing up the visionary blueprint for the watershed's future and calls for the establishment of a Watershed Advisory Council to help forge this plan. The Governors' Summit, held on Sept. 29 and attended by Govs. Carper and Whitman, was the second step in the year-long Flowing Toward The Future (pdf 3.3 MB) process that also included a series of workshops held throughout the basin and a watershed-wide conference in Philadelphia.

2000 - "Ed. Web," an on-line resource to help teachers and students learn about the Delaware River Basin and general water issues, is added to the DRBC web site. Since its debut in 1996, the Commission's web site continues to attract attention, with "hits" to its home page increasing from about 20,000 in 1997 to over 50,000 in 2000.

2000 - The "Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic Rivers Act" and the "White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic Rivers System Act" are signed into law by President Clinton.

2001 - The DRBC celebrates its 40th birthday.

2001 - The DRBC declares a basinwide drought emergency for only the third time since 1980. By December 15, the combined storage in the three New York City Delaware reservoirs dropped to a record-low level 63.348 bg, or 23.4 percent of capacity. This emergency will remain in effect until November 2002.

2002 - Pennsylvania recognizes the Delaware as the Commonwealth's "Feature River of the Year" and creates an attractive poster with the help of DRBC staff using the theme, "The Delaware: A Revolutionary River." The Delaware River Sojourn, chaired by DRBC Executive Director Carol Collier, uses this theme for the annual event.

2003 - Updated Schuylkill River recreation maps prepared by the DRBC in partnership with the Schuylkill River Greenway Association and Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are released for sale to the public.

2003 - The Christina River Basin is selected to receive federal Watershed Initiative funding totaling $1 million to support efforts to preserve and protect this interstate subbasin of the Delaware River Watershed. The Christina Basin Clean Water Partnership, of which the DRBC is a member, was one of only 20 community-based groups (out of 176 applications) receiving federal funding under the $15 million national program.

2003 - The DRBC approves a resolution recognizing and supporting the use of a formal process for developing and evaluating the feasibility of achieving flow targets to address instream flow and freshwater inflow requirements for aquatic ecosystems in the basin. A new subcommittee of the Commission's Flow Management Technical Advisory Committee -- known as the Subcommittee on Ecological Flows (SEF) -- will assist in this process.

2003 - On behalf of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and based on work conducted by the DRBC, U.S. EPA established total maximum daily loads (TMDLs or "pollution budgets") for the tidal Delaware River from Trenton, N.J. downstream to the head of the Delaware Bay near Liston Point, Del. to address the presence of PCBs in the waterway.

2004 - June 7 marked the 50th anniversary of the amended decree of the United States Supreme Court that resolved an interstate dispute over the allocation of water in the Delaware River Basin.

2004 - Elected and environmental leaders from the four basin states and the federal government, along with other interested watershed stakeholders, met on September 13 along Wilmington's Christina Riverfront to celebrate the completion of the Water Resources Plan for the Delaware River Basin. Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner was joined by DRBC Federal Representative Brigadier General Merdith W.B. Temple, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Water Assistant Director Fred R. Nuffer in a ceremonial signing of a resolution supporting the implementation of the basin plan. A number of federal agency representatives also participated by signing the resolution in affirmation of their agency's support of the basin plan.

2005 - The DRBC unanimously adopted a rule to establish pollutant minimization plan (PMP) requirements for point (end-of-pipe) and non-point (runoff) discharges of PCBs in the Delaware Estuary. This innovative approach embodies the principle of adaptive management, which encourages experimentation, measurement, and readjustment depending on the results of the actions taken. The Commissioners also set a goal of reducing PCB loadings by 50% in five years.

2006 - On behalf of Delaware and New Jersey, and based on work conducted by the DRBC, U.S. EPA established a TMDL for PCBs in the Delaware Bay. This TMDL was built upon the TMDLs developed in 2003 for the 85-mile tidal section of the Delaware River.

2006 - The Musconetcong Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was signed into law by President Bush adding yet another stretch of a Delaware River tributary to the National Wild and Scenic River System.

2007 - The Delaware River Basin Interstate Flood Mitigation Task Force forwarded to the four basin state governors its action agenda with 45 recommendations for a more proactive, sustainable, and systematic approach to flood damage reduction. The formation of the task force was requested by the governors in late September 2006 following three major main stem floods that took place between September 2004 and June 2006.

2008 - The commissioners permanently designated the 76-mile-long stretch of the Lower Delaware extending from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area downstream to the head of tide at Trenton as Significant Resource Waters under DRBC's Special Protection Waters (SPW) program. This action, intended to "keeping the clean water clean," expanded coverage of the DRBC's SPW anti-degradation regulations to include the entire 197-mile non-tidal Delaware River from Hancock, N.Y. south to Trenton. The Lower Delaware had been temporarily classified as Significant Resource Waters by DRBC since January 2005.

2008 - The DRBC issues the first State of the Basin Report, which serves as a benchmark of current conditions and provides a platform for measuring and reporting future progress.

2009 - Building upon its previous water conservation program accomplishments, the DRBC revised its Water Code to implement an updated water audit approach to identify and control water loss in the basin. DRBC staff and its Water Management Advisory Committee played an integral role in helping develop the software for implementing the new methodology, which is being used nationwide. The water audit program is currently being utilized by basin purveyors voluntarily; required use will begin in 2012.

2011 - The DRBC celebrates its 50th anniversary.

2011 - The Delaware River was named the Commonwealth of Pa.'s "River of the Year" after a public vote. DRBC staff served as the coordinator for the River of the Year steering committee, which organized numerous events to celebrate this honor, including the 17th Annual Delaware River Sojourn.

2012 - The DRBC debuts a new design for its web site, the first major upgrade since its inception in 1996.

2012 - For their 2012 calendar year audit, DRB water purveyors must utilize the updated water audit approach (approved by DRBC in 2009) to identify and control water loss in the basin. This new approach will improve water supply efficiency and enhance the Commission's water conservation program.

2013 - The DRBC launches a new, online reporting system for its water supply charges program.

2013 - The DRBC issues its second State of the Basin Report, which is an abbreviated update to the 2008 report.

2013 - The DRBC publishes two new online interactive maps, one for select docket and permit holder information and one for select water quality monitoring location data.

2013 - The DRBC updates its PCB and pH water quality criteria for the Delaware River and Bay. 

2014 - The DRBC begins to accept online applications for ground and/or surface water withdrawals.

2014 - Steven J. Tambini takes the oath of office as the Commission's fourth executive director.

2014 - DRBC's commitment to water resource planning marks another milestone, as the Water Resources Plan for the Delaware River Basin turns 10.

2015 - DRBC releases the Delaware River Basin-Planning Support Tool (DRB-PST), an updated water resource planning model.

2015 - The rulemaking to provide for DRBC's One Process/One Permit Program is approved by the Commissioners.

2016 - DRBC's One Process/One Permit Program goes into effect.

2016 - The Lower Delaware River Special Protection Waters (SPW) Assessment of Measurable Changes to Existing Water Quality was published. A related report, the Atlas of Existing Water Quality for SPW, was also published.

2016 - The rulemaking to provide for a restructuring of DRBC fees is approved by the Commissioners.

2017 - DRBC's new fee structure goes into effect.

2017 - DRBC approved a resolution providing for a formal review of the designated aquatic life uses in the Delaware River Estuary and water quality criteria necessary to support these uses.

2018 - As part of DRBC's Designated Use Study in the Delaware Estuary, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University developed a methodology for evaluating dissolved oxygen (DO) requirements of species in the Delaware Estuary. Monitoring in 2018 also intensified as part of this multi-year study in order to support development of the Delaware Estuary Eutrophication Model.

2018 - The states of Delaware and New Jersey announced that they have issued less restrictive fish consumption advisories for their shared waters of the Delaware Estuary and Delaware Bay. This is a direct result of water quality improvements through the cooperative efforts of DRBC and state environmental agencies, which have reduced levels of PCBs and other legacy pollutants.

2018 - DRBC and the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection partnered to provide free water loss management training for public water suppliers, operators, and engineers. DRBC's regulatory requirement for purveyors to annual complete and submit a water audit is just one part of the Commission's robust water conservation program and is focused on minimizing water loss from leaking pipes and services, unauthorized uses, and/or meter inaccuracies.   

2018 - DRBC received a grant from the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund to monitor for and model loadings of microplastics in the upper Delaware Estuary — from Trenton, N.J. to the mouth of the C&D Canal.

2019 - DRBC received a grant from the William Penn Foundation to implement a basinwide outreach program. Entitled Our Shared Waters: A Look at the Delaware River Basin, this effort will combine online and experiential learning experiences to engage the public about our shared water resources.

2019 - DRBC's intensive monitoring and modeling work continued on the Designated Use Study in the Delaware Estuary.  

2019 - In May 2019, DRBC's Executive Director joined the governors of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pa. for the Delaware River Governors' Leadership Summit. At the Summit, the governors signed a proclamation reaffirming their commitment to protect the Delaware River Basin, through the DRBC and beyond.

2019 - In July 2019, DRBC released its third State of the Basin Report.

2019 - In December 2019, the DRBC Commissioners approved a resolution to form the Advisory Committee on Climate Change. 

2020 - DRBC staff develop a new website, http://hydrosnap.drbc.net, which provides users with a daily snapshot of flow and drought management indicators for the Delaware River Basin.

2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic forces the Commission to close its building in March. Staff worked remotely for the remainder of 2020 in support of continuity of operations and support for community public health.

2020 - In April 2020, national environmental advocacy group American Rivers named the Delaware River its River of the Year.

2020 - DRBC forms an internal workgroup to develop a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Strategic Plan for the Commission.

2020 - DRBC's intensive modeling work continued on the Designated Use Study in the Delaware Estuary. In September 2020, DRBC Commissioners passed a resolution to extend the timetable on this project, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and funding constraints.

2021 - The COVID-19 pandemic continued. The DRBC remained fully operational as staff continued to work remotely to perform the duties of the Commission.

2021 - In February, the DRBC unanimously voted to ban the practice of high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River Basin.

2021 - In March, the DRBC's Advisory Committee on Climate Change held a one-day Climate Change Forum as part of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary's Science and Environmental Summit.

2021 - In October, the DRBC published a new report titled Water Withdrawal and Consumptive Use Estimates for the Delaware River Basin (1990-2017) with Projections through 2060. The report analyzes 30 years of historic withdrawal data and projects withdrawal demands to the year 2060.

2021 - In October, the DRBC issued a proposed rulemaking addressing water importations to and exportations from the Basin and banning the discharge of wastewater from high-volume hydraulic fracturing and related activities to Basin lands and waters.

2021 - The DRBC celebrated its 60th Anniversary.

2022 - COVID-19 continued to impact operations, but the DRBC remained fully operational. Staff began working a hybrid schedule, and in-person activities started to resume on a more regular basis.

2022 - The DRBC released a report titled "Reducing Microplastics in the Delaware River Estuary." Microplastics were found in all water samples tested.

2022 - In September, the DRBC published five draft reports related to its Aquatic Life Designated Use Project. This was a major step in the multi-year process to update dissolved oxygen criteria in a portion of the Delaware River Estuary to better support fish populations.

2022 - In September, the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin honored the DRBC and its Secretary Pamela Bush at its annual recognition dinner. Ms. Bush was honored for her significant contributions to public policy and commitment to improving connections between people and the environment over her 23 years with the DRBC. The DRBC was honored for its work to reduce PCBs in the Delaware River Estuary.

2022 - In December, the DRBC approved a final rulemaking that strengthened its regulations for water importations to and exportations from the Basin and banned the discharge of wastewater from high-volume hydraulic fracturing and related activities to Basin lands and waters.

2022 - In December, the DRBC issued a report titled "Estimating Groundwater Availability in the Delaware River Basin 2020-2060." The report concludes that groundwater supplies in the Delaware River Basin are sustainable through 2060.

2023 - In January, the DRBC's Advisory Committee on Climate Change held a one-day Climate Change Forum as part of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary's Science and Environmental Summit.

2023 - In April, the DRBC published a report "Evaluation of Additional Storage in the Delaware River Basin." This conceptual, planning-level study developed an inventory of and evaluated the feasibility of additional freshwater storage in the Delaware River Basin to meet the following needs: future water availability, climate adaptation, drought management and flow management.

2023 - In August, the DRBC and U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D; NJ-12), N.J. Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette, Ewing Twp. Mayor Bert Steinmann, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora and invited guests celebrated the Commission receiving federal Community Project Funding (CPF) for federal fiscal year 2023.

2023 - In December, the DRBC published the report "A Comprehensive Assessment of the Delaware River Basin's Water Audit Program (2012-2021)". The report provides a detailed look at ten years of DRBC Water Audit Program data. This analysis is the first of its kind in the country.