For Immediate Release

August 29, 2018

(West Trenton, N.J.) -- The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) today announced that Paul Michael Bergeron’s photograph, titled Lazin’ at Neshaminy Creek on an Early Summer Day, was chosen as the winner of the commission’s Summer 2018 Photo Contest. The Neshaminy Creek is a Pennsylvania tributary to the Delaware River. Twenty-four photographs were submitted by 13 individuals for the contest.

"I became enthralled with the Delaware River from living on the waterfront for over twenty years," said Paul Michael Bergeron of Andalusia, Pa. "Nature, bird, and wildlife photography is my passion, especially capturing the beauty and magnificence of the historic Delaware River and its environs."

The winning image was chosen by a judging panel of four DRBC staff members and will be featured on the commission’s website at https://www.nj.gov/drbc/basin/photo/photo-contest.html and on DRBC’s Twitter and Flickr social media sites. The photo will also be published in the commission’s 2018 annual report, and the winner will receive a certificate of recognition.

"We thank everyone who entered this season’s photo contest," said DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini. "While there were many great entries to choose from, Paul’s photo stood out for highlighting one of the best parts of summer and something that we at DRBC love to see: people outside, connecting with nature and enjoying the waters of the Delaware River Basin, be it fishing, wading, or simply relaxing and taking in the view."

The purpose of DRBC’s seasonal photo contest is to highlight amateur and professional photography representing the beauty, diversity, function, and significance of the water resources of the Delaware River Basin, a 13,539-square mile watershed. In legislation signed into law in December 2016, the U.S. Congress declared that "the Delaware River Basin is a national treasure of great cultural, environmental, ecological, and economic importance." Approximately 15 million people (or about five percent of the nation's population) rely on the water resources of the Delaware River Basin to support a variety of significant uses including public drinking water, industry, agriculture, power generation, recreation, fisheries, and aquatic life.

The Fall Photo Contest will begin on September 24 and has a deadline of November 1, 2018. Complete contest details, including instructions on how to submit photographs, are available on DRBC’s website at the above link.

The DRBC is a federal/interstate government agency responsible for managing the water resources within the Delaware River Basin without regard to political boundaries. The five commission members are the governors of the basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ North Atlantic Division, who represents the federal government.

To learn more about the commission, please visit http://www.drbc.gov/ or follow DRBC on Twitter at @DRBC1961.

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Contacts: Kate Schmidt, Kate.Schmidt@drbc.gov, (609) 883-9500 ext. 205
Peter Eschbach, Peter.Eschbach@drbc.gov, (609) 883-9500 ext. 208

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Winning Image: Lazin’ at Neshaminy Creek on an Early Summer Day by Paul Michael Bergeron

You can view more of his photos at https://www.pinterest.com/mikeslickster/.