For much of the last century, parts of the Delaware River were a foul mess, full of sewage, chemical waste and other putrid byproducts of a rapidly urbanizing watershed. There were fish kills and disease outbreaks.
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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.
No contaminants from the Bristol Township spill have been detected in the Delaware River water: tap water continues to be safe. Residents should continue to use tap water as they normally would.
The Delaware River cleanup has been significantly advanced by Camden County, which has sharply reduced discharges from its combined sewer overflows (CSOs) — antiquated pipes designed to carry both stormwater and sewage but that often dump both into waterways during heavy rains.
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.
There are substantial sections of the river that are frozen solid. Aerial photos of the river in the area of the park show immense stretches covered in ice.
The city says Philadelphia's tap water is safe to drink, cook and shower with. We understand the legitimate concern that is felt by the public as the release of chemicals into our waterways can pose a major threat to our health and safety, Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement.
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.
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.
Fish consumption advisories issued in early 2018 show that the concentration of chemical contaminants in fish caught from Delaware waterways continues to decline – which indicates water quality is improving throughout the state and also means that fish caught in many Delaware waters can be eaten with lowered concerns ...
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).
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 has a long history of flooding. The river's floodplain, as well as those of its tributaries, has been subject to both local and widespread damage.
Delaware Water Gapformed through a process of headward erosion and stream capture. Deformation of the bedrock during Appalachian mountain-building episodes hundreds of millions of years ago created an area of structural weakness in the rock.