The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE) is responsible for publishing a “State of the Estuary Report” every three to five years.  This serves as a scientific health exam of the tidal Delaware River and Bay, as well as the land draining to them in coastal Delaware, southern New Jersey, and Southeast Pennsylvania.

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary released its Technical Report for the Delaware Estuary & Basin in early 2023. The purpose of this assessment is to provide readers with insight into the status and trends of select natural resources in the Delaware Estuary’s Watershed, home to approximately 9 million people.

The Partnership worked closely with the Delaware River Basin Commission, state and federal agencies, universities, and its 21-member Science and Technical Advisory Committee to share data and select ~50 key “indicators.” Indicators are measures used to gauge environmental conditions and were carefully chosen based on the data available and its ability to help readers understand current conditions and future needs.

The information from these reports is used to track the progress being made toward implementation of the PDE’s long-term plan, created in 1996. See the table at right for access to reports from 2008 and 2002 (PDF files).