ALBANY, NY — Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which fell short of New York’s commitment to fully fund the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) at the state’s agreed-upon amount of $626,000. 

Instead, New York will fund the DRBC at $359,500, just over 50 percent of the agreed-upon full fair share, the same level it has funded since 2015. 

Hochul touts that her budget aims to make New York “more affordable, more livable and safer” while focusing on “creating a cleaner, healthier environment” for future generations—but she has failed to prioritize the basin. 

“With full funding support from all the basin states, the DRBC would have the staffing and programming support necessary to effectively monitor water quality and make informed decisions on river flow management to protect and restore the habitat for aquatic species, such as trout and the American shad,” said Kelly Knutson, CDRW director.

The DRBC is a widely respected, important partner in watershed-wide management that consistently ensures water security in the Delaware River Basin. The commission provides much-needed environmental research while monitoring water quality, conducting comprehensive resource and recreation planning, and managing drinking water supplies for 13.3 million people, including half of New York City, throughout the 13,539-square-mile Delaware Basin. 

In 1988, the commission members—leaders of Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, which all have land drained by the river—reached an agreement to appropriate “fair share” funding contributions as follows: 

Delaware: 12.5 percent, $447,000 

Pennsylvania: 25 percent, $893,000 

New Jersey: 25 percent, $893,000

New York: 17.5 percent, $626,000 

Federal government: 20 percent, $715,000

 The aggregated funding has unfortunately never reached those agreed-upon levels. 

Hochul was the only watershed governor to not include full share DRBC funding in her executive budget proposal this year. Governors in the other basin states have all included at least their full portion in their newest state budget proposals. The federal government has also acknowledged the DRBC’s value and is slated to contribute its full share. 

At a time when the Delaware River Basin already faces the growing and damaging effects of climate change, New York is failing to meet this critical moment and show the state’s commitment to clean, well-managed water. 

We can’t afford to neglect the precious resource we have in the Delaware River basin and all that it provides for us. The coalition will continue to advocate for New York to readjust its priorities and fully fund its fair share of the DRBC in all future budgets.

The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed works with organizations in the region to help advocate for protecting and restoring the Delaware River Basin.