The Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic River Partnership is making strides to add Delaware River tributaries into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS), writes John Best for Lehigh Valley Live.  

Recently, the National Parks Service undertook a study pinpointing several tributaries flowing from Pennsylvania and New Jersey into the Delaware River that are worthy of this esteemed classification.  

This move stems from the 1968 National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which seeks to safeguard these rivers without infringing upon local land use and ownership. 

Joining the NWSRS wouldn’t result in federal land control, allow public access to private domains, or result in altered land-use decisions. 

It would also not spawn new federal regulations or influence existing hunting and fishing laws. Instead, it would allow municipalities with designated tributaries to qualify for NPS funding or other federal grants. It would also benefit from the NPS’s vast reservoir of expertise on waterway conservation. 

The next significant step is a congressional amendment to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to welcome these new waterways. 

Read more about the Lower Delaware tributaries and the efforts to make them nationally recognized in Lehigh Valley Live.

Water’s Edge: Trials and tributaries of the Delaware River Watershed