The Delaware River Basin provides drinking water for more than 13 million people and is home to an abundance of fish and wildlife including some endangered, threatened, and at-risk species. People and wildlife depend upon the water resources of the Basin, and the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), for their water security – for an adequate and sustainable supply of clean and healthy water that can be equitably accessed and is resilient in the face of climate change and extreme conditions. The importance of the DRBC’s water resources management programs are specifically recognized in the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program (DRBRP), adopted by Congress under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016. Furthermore, the DRBC is a proud member of the steering committee of the Delaware Watershed Conservation Collaborative as established by the DRBRP.
The priority objective of this DRBC project is to advance four research areas representing the building blocks of water security that support fish and wildlife and human needs: water quality, water availability, water equity, and water resiliency.
Water Equity – Water Resources Equity & Funding Studies: Two complementary studies will advance water equity knowledge in the Basin: an in-depth spatial analysis of socioeconomic and demographic data to compare against a “total cost of water” index to better understand disparities in water security in overburdened communities. The UMD EFC is assisting DRBC with identification of alternative sources of infrastructure funding that could be leveraged to help close this gap. The results will increase understanding of environmental justice (EJ) issues specific to water security; support the Commission’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ); and provide Basin stakeholders and the DRBRP with knowledge that could inform future DEIJ priorities and practices to enhance equity and support for underserved communities across all strategic program areas of the Framework.
Sponsors
For more information, contact Jennifer Egan at jegan@umd.edu or 302-540-4546.
This graphic shows how dissolved oxygen (DO) levels have improved since 1965 at this location on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pa.
This activity was conducted under a NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service ESA Permit No. 19255-01, issued to lan Park, Fisheries Biologist, DREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Team Members