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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Turns 50

This week the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA) celebrated its 50th anniversary. This unit of the National Park Service (NPS) was created by Congress on September 1, 1965 to preserve the natural resources of this part of the Delaware River valley and to provide educational and recreational opportunities for the public. Its proximity to Philadelphia and New York City and many other suburban areas makes it quite a popular destination. In addition to being home to 40 miles of the Delaware River, great for boating, paddling, and fishing, the park offers camping, biking, and hiking and is a perfect place for wildlife viewing. In fact, DEWA is one of the top twenty most visited places in the National Park System!

In the 8/31/15 NPS press release commemorating DEWA's 50th anniversary, Park Superintendent John Donahue said, "Today we are focused on the future even as we pause to reflect on the past." DEWA is currently in the process of developing a Visitor Use Management Plan and a Historic Properties Management Plan and is encouraging the public to be involved in the process. Learn more about the Visitor Use Management Plan by visiting http://www.nps.gov/dewa/getinvolved/index.htm.  

The park's creation in 1965 paved the way for several additional designations of this area of the Delaware River Basin. In 1978, the 40-mile section of the Delaware River that flows through DEWA (as well as a 73-mile stretch of the upper Delaware River) was added by President Carter and Congress to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. To be included in this national system, river stretches must be free-flowing, possess scenic, recreational, cultural, and historic values, and must be protected for the enjoyment of current and future generations. The Delaware River Basin is home to several waterways that are designated wild and scenic, including three-quarters of the non-tidal Delaware River (the river above Trenton, N.J.). Learn more by visiting the link on the right.

Building on their wild and scenic river status, the section of the Delaware River that flows through DEWA and the entire river that stretches upstream to Hancock, N.Y. were named Special Protection Waters (SPW) by the DRBC in 1992. DRBC's SPW program includes specific regulations to protect the existing high water quality in areas of the Delaware River Basin deemed "to have exceptionally high scenic, recreational, ecological and/or water supply values." In 2005, these regulations were also applied to the section of the Delaware River south of DEWA, known as the lower Delaware. The entire 197-mile non-tidal Delaware River is now protected by the DRBC's SPW anti-degradation regulations, which help keep the clean water clean for all to enjoy. Learn more by visiting the link on the right.

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is truly a special place, and we encourage the public to visit, enjoy, and be inspired. Happy 50th Birthday DEWA!