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.
The Delaware River in Philadelphia is projected to “rise by as much as 64 inches” by 2100, the report states. Rising sea levels and increased precipitation, including storm surges, exacerbate flooding concerns in certain areas.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Delaware River is navigable 30 miles upriver from Penn's Landing in Philadelphia to Trenton, the capital of New Jersey. Hospitable ports of call can be found at Burlington (about 7 miles beyond Dredge Harbor) and Bordentown (8 miles farther up and 4 miles short of Trenton) for shoal-draft boats.
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.
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).
I encourage residents who want to make sure they have water available to fill bottles or pitchers of tap water and am confident that there is no risk at this time as no contaminants have been detected in the Delaware River water. Again, tap water continues to be safe.”