WEST TRENTON, NJ — The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) announced on Thursday, October 3 the final draft publication of reports that support updating designated uses and associated water quality standards in the Delaware River Estuary, to better support fish populations.

The key report, titled "A Pathway for Continued Restoration: Improving Dissolved Oxygen in the Delaware River Estuary," is the culmination of over five years of scientific and technical work. It finds that enhancing the dissolved oxygen conditions in a 38-mile reach of the Delaware River Estuary from Philadelphia to Wilmington is indeed feasible and will be protective of the reproduction and juvenile development of sensitive fish species, including the endangered Atlantic sturgeon.

Dissolved oxygen is a measure of how much oxygen has been dissolved into water; the dissolved oxygen in water is breathed by fish, and how much dissolved oxygen is in water can be an indicator of water quality, according to usgs.gov.

The Pathway report and related studies identify municipal wastewater as the leading ongoing cause of reduced oxygen levels in this section of the Delaware River Estuary. The Pathway report shows that reducing summer ammonia loads from a relatively small number of large point-source discharges in the Estuary would significantly improve dissolved oxygen levels.

“These reports collectively illuminate the path forward to an Estuary that better supports all life stages and species of resident and migratory fish in this river, including the endangered Atlantic Sturgeon,” said DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini. “I am proud of the groundbreaking science developed, and the collaborative interagency efforts led, by the DRBC.”

The final reports and complete information on the study are available on the DRBC’s website at: https://www.nj.gov/drbc/programs/quality/designated-use.html.