Watershed History Inspires Support for Clean Water in Delaware
By Laura Miller, Environmental Advocate and Delaware State Lead, Delaware Nature Society
Hagley Mill on the Brandywine Creek in New Castle County, Delaware
When we discuss the value of clean water, we often talk about drinking water, safe swimming, and even great beer. But as we learned in a recent presentation by Dr. Gerald Kauffman, Director of the University of Delaware Water Resources Agency (UD WRA), the significant history of our rivers is another important factor that plays a role in our water’s inherent value.
The Delaware River Watershed played a crucial role in shaping East Coast communities. The Brandywine and Christina Rivers at the southern end of the watershed in Delaware formed the culture and economy of the region, as Dr. Kauffman discussed in his presentation to a group of environmentalists, advocates, Water Warriors, and educators at Delaware Nature Society’s Ashland Nature Center.
The original inhabitants of this southern area in the Delaware River Watershed were the Lenape tribe, who used the river as a food source and convenient means of transportation and trade. By 1638 the Brandywine River became home to the first European settlement in the watershed after the Swedes landed in the area.
The Brandywine was an ideal location for settlement because the drastic drop in elevation from the Brandywine headwaters to its outlet into the Christina River made the river an perfect place for mills. This 150-foot drop, greater than that of Niagara Falls and the highest drop on the eastern seaboard, attracted Eleuthére du Pont to set up his gunpowder mill along the Brandywine River in 1802, shaping the economy and growth of the area as wars increased demand for the product.
The rivers held value of their own too. Atlantic Sturgeon swam these waters, providing food for residents throughout history and caviar for export to Russia in the late 1800s. American Shad were a staple in nutrition, remembered fondly today as the fish that saved Washington’s troops at Valley Forge.
In the Civil War era, the Christina River was the border between slavery and freedom along the Underground Railroad. The Market Street Bridge that crossed the Christina carried freedom seekers toward the protection of Wilmington Railroad operatives.
These rivers, rich with history, are still the backbone of our society. Studies by the UD WRA found that Delaware’s water resources contribute $6 billion in economic activity, 70,000 jobs, and $2 billion in wages. Our freshwater wetlands, which filter and trap water, provide over $2.4 billion in ecosystem services. Our water supports a booming craft beer industry, and local brewers are eager to use the chemistry of our watershed for brewing award winning beer. This industry alone provides 1,000 jobs to our region.
Yet these rivers are not thriving like they once were. Due to public health concerns, they have restrictions on the number of certain fish species you should consume from their waters every year. Atlantic Sturgeon and American Shad can no longer be found upstream due to dams and impaired water quality. The changed water footprint also impacts human habitation, particularly in Wilmington. An increase in development along the water’s edge and removal of natural features like wetlands cause severe, and in some cases chronic, flooding of historically Black neighborhoods. The climate crisis is predicted to only worsen these trends as sea levels rises, saltwater pushes further upriver, and storms increase in severity and frequency.
Dam Removal by Danny Schweers
But there are signs of hope. Shad have been spotted in the Brandywine following efforts to improve water quality and dam removals. Planting trees and installing buffers around banks cools and filters the water. We also discussed how sustainable, dedicated clean water funding will lead to more projects like these going towards valuable water resources throughout our state. And we will continue to advocate for clean water funding in Delaware moving forward.
Understanding the history of a watershed can lead to creative ways to build support for its protection. We live and work in an area rich with history, and we can thank our waterways for culture, the economy, and beautiful natural areas. By advocating for sustainable clean water funding in Delaware and for the watershed at large, we aren’t only working to improve our environment, economy, and public health – we are preserving our region’s history, too!