Enjoy a scenic, fun and refreshing 3 - 4 hour tube, raft, canoe or kayak ride down the Delaware River, which is the nation's most historic river and perfect for outdoor water sport activities.
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Swimming in areas of the river outside the life guarded beaches is permitted, but not recommended. Strong currents, sharp drop-offs, and constantly changing river conditions make many areas unsafe for swimming. Wearing a properly fitting life jacket is strongly recommended when swimming. Never swim alone.
The Upper Delaware is the longest free-flowing river in the Northeast, navigable by a wide variety of watercraft throughout its entire length. It includes riffles and Class I and II rapids between placid pools and eddies.
However, the most famous fact about the Delaware River is the famous crossing of it by George Washington in 1776 which helped him successfully surprise Hessian troops in New Jersey during the American Revolution.
There are bull shark occasionally in the Delaware river. One was caught in a net in 1908 basically across the river from where the Philly Airport is today.
On March 24, 2023, the Trinseo Altuglas chemical plant in Bristol, Pennsylvania in the United States had an equipment failure that resulted in a leak of between 8,100 and 12,000 gallons of butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and methyl methacrylate into Otter Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River.
Here are some of the most important tips for having a safe and fun time on the river: Always wear a lifejacket or personal floatation device (PFD) in the water. Never drink alcohol and swim. Never try to swim across the river.
In the winter, the air temperature is typically below freezing with frequent snow and ice storms. Water temperatures can drop from the 50s to the 30s by December.
During modern times, repeated floods have plagued the tributaries and main branch of the Delaware River, as well as its reservoirs. In just one example, a massive flood occurred in August 1955 when Hurricanes Connie and Diane dumped a total of 20 inches of water throughout the river basin in just one week.
While the entire tidal river is part of the estuary, salinity levels vary from the Delaware Bay (saltwater) to Wilmington, Del.(brackish) to Philadelphia, Pa.and Trenton, N.J. (mostly freshwater).
The Delaware River is known for freshwater populations of striped bass, muskellunge, brown trout, yellow perch, and American shad. When you visit New Jersey, be sure to plan a Delaware River fishing trip.
The Delaware River Basin has a very diverse ecosystem with a wide variety of wildlife. Eagles, bears, snakes, insects, beavers, otters, herons, Canadian geese, fish, eels, deer, and other animals can be found along the river banks.