Andy Smith Photography

Forsters Tern

Delaware River Watershed

The Delaware River Watershed is one of the most important ecosystems in the Eastern United States and a natural treasure. The main flow of the Delaware River begins in Hancock, New York, where the East and West branches join, and flows 330 miles to the Atlantic Ocean, past the major metropolitan areas of Philadelphia and Trenton. It is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river East of the Mississippi. Three stretches above Trenton totaling 152 miles are included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Three tributaries, the Maurice and Musconetcong Rivers in New Jersey and the White Clay Creek in Pennsylvania are also in this system. The Delaware Bay and the tidal reach of the river to Trenton are included in the National Estuary Program to protect estuarine systems of significance. The river is sacred to the Lenni Lenapes, the original inhabitants of the watershed, whose history goes back centuries before white settlers arrived.

Although the Delaware waters flow through much privately owned land, they also flow through two National Parks, the Delaware Water Gap and the Upper Delaware. The River's clean waters are home to numerous species of fresh water mussels that help to keep it clean, as well as the American Shad, that spawns in the River, but lives most of its life in the ocean, and the American Eel, that lives most of its life in the River after birth in the Sargasso Sea. Other fish include Striped Bass and the endangered Atlantic Sturgeon. Nesting Bald Eagles have returned and multiplied in recent years.

Major tributaries of the Delaware are the Lackawaxen River, the Lehigh River and the Schuylkill River as well as numerous smaller rivers and streams that total 23,700 linear miles. The 13,539 square miles of the drainage area encompass parts of four states - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and 42 counties and 838 municipalities. The River provides drinking water to 15 million people or 5% of the US population.

The images in this gallery portray some of the natural beauty, wildlife and birds of the region. Additional images of canoeing and kayaking on the River and its tributaries are in that section. Galleries of Jenkins Arboretum, Valley Forge National Park, the Brandywine Creek, and Northwest New Jersey portray more images of the region.



Knight's Eddy at dawn on route 97 in New york The hawk's Nest on New york route 97 just West of Port Jervis New York  The Hawk's nest in fall, the hishest place above the river on a road. looking up from the Hawk's Nest on a fall day  looking across the deepest part of the Delaware in Narrowsburg on a fall day 

looking out fromthe Hawk's Nest on a fall day view along the Delaware inthe fall The Lackawaxn river inthe fall the Lackawaxen River on a fall Day Lackawaxen River Fall Reflection View from the bridge in Narrowsburg between NY and PA on a fall dayl  

dawn on a misty morning in Milanville  rapids in the Mongaup river as it flws into the Delaware Misty morning above the Delawre near Callicoon, New York Sunrise t Shawnee ice formation onthe River near Lambertville 

frozen rover at Narrowsburg ice on the river at Narrowsburg Dawn at Dingman's Ferry  Dawn at dingman's

Swartswood State Park in winter Winter on Sipring Lake Christmas Mornign in the Woods at Spring Lake

Delaware Canal misty morning at Driftstone Camppground marsh at sunset near Heislersvill, New Jersey dawn at Seabreeze on the, New Jersey Delaware Bay  

Buttermilk Falls in the spring Bradywine Creek in the fall French Creek in the fall Swamp near Peter's Valley, New Jersey Spring Lake in Early Fall

The Brook at Tilman Ravine the Brook at Tilman Ravine Tillman's Ravine, New JErsey flowing water in Tillman's Ravine Tilman Ravine

Bald Eagle on the Lackawaxen bald eagles on nest first year Bald Eagle juvenile eagle soaring juvenile and adult baldeagle playing Bald Eagle at John Heinz NWR

red fox kit in valley forge national park Female Timber Wolf ALpha Male WTimer Wolf
Green heron on a misty morning Wood thrush Feeding the Fledgling Ovenbird Singing American Woodcock White-throated Sparrow

Horseshoe Crab Sandhill Cranes in New Jersey Mother Common Merganser with young dawn on the river just below Skinner's Falls Canoes on a stormy morning canoes and kayaks at dawn

 Fungus in tillman's Ravine leaf floating beauty and the beast- japanese knotweed, a threat to native plants  clear water and rocks  lilly pads at HWite Lake, New Jersey Love lichens in Swartswood State PArk, New Jersey

 paddling toward philadelphia canoing toward the Delaware Water Gap river full of kayaks and canoes paddling through skinner's Falls Enjoyinfg Skinner's Falls

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