Renew the Delaware Basin Act to Protect the Divide and Economy by Kelly Knutson and Richard Lawton

Clean water is a priceless resource that cannot be replaced. And when we think of New Jersey’s water, many focus on the Atlantic Seaboard with our ocean and the beloved Jersey Shore – but what about the state’s rivers?

The Delaware River and its surrounding tributaries help define the state line and provide a vital resource for countless New Jersey residents, visitors and businesses: clean water.

With more than 2.6 million New Jerseyers dependent on the Delaware River Basin, our communities and economy depend on reliable access to clean water, and companies from all sectors support the need for investment in this vital resource.

The Delaware River Watershed contributes more than $22 billion annually to economic activity from upstate New York to the Delaware Bay and supports 600,000 jobs with $10 billion in wages. From the Delaware River Water Gap to the Pinelands of South Jersey, the Delaware River watershed plays a critical role in a range of industries that provide jobs and sustain vital communities – from artisanal distilleries, local wineries and agriculture to tourism, recreation and fishing.

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In New Jersey, the watershed supports more than 174,000 jobs with $3.71 billion in wages. Without clean, reliable water, New Jersey’s economy would not thrive, as polluted water hurts businesses and strong protections from clean water contribute to a healthy economy and local jobs. An investment in the Delaware River and its tributaries is not only an investment in the health of the watershed, but also in the economic growth and vitality of New Jersey.

The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed and the New Jersey Sustainable Business Council are thrilled that the region has such strong clean water advocates in Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). . , and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who recently reintroduced the Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act (DRBCA) in the US Senate and House of Representatives. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) also signed into law reinstating the legislation.

This bipartisan legislation would fund critical conservation projects throughout the Delaware River watershed, and reauthorization would protect the existing law before the end of this year by extending it to 2030.

Once among New Jersey’s most polluted waterways, the Delaware River is a prime example of what can be achieved by investing money in conservation. A healthy watershed provides a variety of benefits by improving local water quality, controlling erosion, and reducing flooding—costs that would otherwise fall on taxpayers and taxpayers.

DRBCA’s support is necessary to improve water quality, mitigate erosion and flood damage, protect local wildlife, expand access to recreational opportunities, and create a wealth of new economic opportunities throughout the Mid-Atlantic. The New Jersey congressional delegation must act now to support this bipartisan legislation and get it through Congress as quickly as possible.

For the Garden State to grow the best produce and brew quality beer, we need good soil—and to support good soil, we need clean water. Likewise, we must prioritize a healthy watershed so that people can participate in recreational activities on our waterways. And for New Jersey developers, a clean, healthy river greatly increases property values ​​and supports a thriving riverfront economy.

The DRBCA helps bring much-needed funds to New Jersey that protect people and property from storm surges and flooding, create thriving ecosystems and habitats, and improve drinking water quality. We need legislators to support and pass the DRBCA so that those funds go to projects that create a better environment for residents today and generations to come.

As the most densely populated state in the country—a state with tremendous local water resources—these issues are impacting our waterways, health and businesses throughout Delaware’s watershed, but particularly in underserved communities.

DRBCA’s reauthorization will be particularly beneficial to New Jersey’s low-income and rural communities. The new version would focus federal investment in rural communities, helping create more local jobs and allocating resources to address environmental issues that those communities cannot tackle on their own.

Bottom Line: The financial success of New Jersey businesses and the overall health of our communities depend on the health of the Delaware River Watershed.

We know the value of the watershed, let’s protect this resource and keep New Jersey a healthy, beautiful place where people want to continue to live, visit and work.

Kelly Knutson of Burlington is Director of the Coalition of the Delaware River Watershed. Richard Lawton of Point Pleasant Beach is executive director of the New Jersey Sustainable Business Council.

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