In 2019, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), together with members of its Steering Committee and partners across the region officially unveiled the Delaware Estuary’s newly revised Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (CCMP) .
Unveiled at a special gathering at Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia, this plan represents a major milestone in our collective work to ensure clean waters, strong communities, and healthy habitats throughout the Delaware River Watershed.
Members of PDE’s Steering Committee show copies of the revised CCMP for the Delaware Estuary. PDE held a press and information sharing event on Feb. 19, 2019 at Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia.
This updated 10-year blueprint builds on decades of scientific research, community engagement, and environmental progress. Since the CCMP was first published in 1996, the Delaware Estuary has seen meaningful improvements – declines in contaminants like PCBs, thriving species such as striped bass, and expanded opportunities for recreation along renewed waterfronts. Yet new challenges have also emerged. The impacts of major storms like Hurricane Sandy in 2012, accelerating wetland losses, and continued pressures on shellfish populations make clear that fresh strategies and a renewed vision are essential.
“Managing water resources in the Delaware River Estuary is endlessly complex,” said Delaware River Basin Commission Executive Director Steve Tambini. “Water quality in the Estuary has improved significantly over the past half century, no question. But as our understanding increases, new challenges continually emerge. To address these challenges, it is important that we set new and higher goals and find new strategies for achieving them. The revised CCMP provides a vision, measurable goals and a dynamic plan towards a cleaner, more resilient and healthier Estuary.”
Revised for the first time in 20 years, the CCMP reflects the evolving needs of both the environment and the communities that depend on it. With eight goals and 39 targeted strategies, the plan lays out a clear and actionable path forward. These strategies address:
- Clean Waters: reducing pollution, strengthening water quality, and ensuring water availability for future generations.
- Strong Communities: improving public access, building resilience to climate impacts, and empowering residents as environmental stewards.
- Healthy Habitats: sustaining wetlands, forests, shellfish, and other natural systems that support biodiversity and filter our waters.
- Education and Engagement: integrating community involvement throughout all CCMP activities.
Developing this revised plan was a collaborative, multi?year process. From 2016 to 2019, PDE gathered extensive input from scientists, agency partners, community members, and other stakeholders across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Their expertise and insight shaped this vision for the estuary’s next decade and beyond.
“The Delaware Estuary spans from Trenton and Philadelphia to Lewes, Delaware, and relies on clean water from tributaries throughout the Delaware River Watershed—including the Schuylkill, Brandywine, and bay shore regions. Millions of people live, work, and play within this vast and vital system. As one of 28 nationally significant estuaries in the U.S., its protection is both a regional necessity and a national priority.” – Executive Director, Kathy Klein
The CCMP is more than a regulatory requirement—it is a shared roadmap for restoring, protecting, and celebrating the Delaware Estuary. We invite you to explore the plan, learn about the strategies guiding our next decade of work, and join us in advancing a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient estuary for all.
To see how the 2019 plan evolved, click HERE to view the 1996 CCMP.