Best Practices
Floodplains And Buffers
Key player in constructing and maintaining a biofilter wetland and riparian buffer corridor throughout Camden County's park system (NJ) that is improving water quality and habitat
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Dams, Levees and Flood Control Structures
Dam Removal
Lead advocate securing removal of Manatawny Dam across Manatawny Creek. (2000) And led the community restoration of the creek to natural flows and creation of important aquatic habitats in the former inundation pool of the dam.
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Felix Dam
Leader in securing removal of Felix Dam by the PADEP that traversed the Schuylkill River.
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Flood Control Dams
Defeated construction of proposed Rock Run Dam - a 9-foot high 600-foot long flood control dam that would have been built by PADEP across Rock Run Creek. Lower Makefield, PA.
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Defeated construction of Chubb Run Dam in Middletown Township, Bucks County, PA.
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Defeated construction of proposed Dark Hollow Dam - a 50-foot high hazard flood control dam that would have been built by NRCS across the Neshaminy Creek, Bucks County, PA.
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Restoring Free Flow Streams and Rivers
Lead advocate preventing reconstruction of a new Angelica Dam in Reading, PA.
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Endangered Species
Red Knot And Horseshoe Crabs
Succeeded in working with project partners to secure legislation that placed a moratorium on the bait harvest of horseshoe crabs from Delaware Bay until there was a demonstration that the Red Knot rufa was in recovery.
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Harmful Development
The proposed Phase I development of Pennsauken's riverfront including Petty's Island, as of March 21st has been withdrawn. The proposal, including construction of 1,500 new residences, 350,000 square feet of commercial space, at least one golf course, and hundreds of acres of impervious surfaces, was achieved after four years of advocacy, citizen organizing, coalition building and partnership, and assistance from DRN's in-house council.
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Organized the community to prevent a sewer extension that would result in a development boom in Hopewell Township, NJ.
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Prevented construction along with partners of an Incinerator along the Delaware River in Mercer County, NJ.
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Artificial Turf
Delaware Riverkeeper Network led an effort that defeated the construction of an artificial turf field at the Radnor Middle School -- construction of the artificial turf instead of natural grass would have forced all children to play sports and recess on the plastic grass field, while at the same time threatening the ithan creek with polluted runoff, and setting dangerous precedent regarding the costs and values of infiltration on sports fields.
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Floodplain Development
Helped the community defend the South Branch Pennsauken Creek from a 308-unit residential development project.
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Shallow Water Habitats
DRN advocacy protected nearly 1/3 of an acre of shallow water fish habitat which would have otherwise been filled during wharf reconstruction in Trenton. Shallow water fish habitat is extremely important in this reach of the river which was being increasingly lined with fill projects and hardened banks. The wharf was rebuilt but without filling in and over this important habitat.
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Steep Slopes
Protected the Stockton Bluffs, a forested ridge now known as Anderson Forest that drains to Brookville Hollow Creek and would otherwise be developed. Hunterdon County, NJ.
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Wetlands
Saved 28 acres of woodlands and wetlands, the headwaters of Brock Creek in Bucks County, PA, from residential development.
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Woodlands/Forests
Protected 2.5 acres of woodlands, wetlands and headwaters to Little Darby Creek from destruction for a detention basin. Radnor Twp, PA
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Secured permanent protection of MacArthur Woods (know known as Saddler's Woods), a 25 acre of old growth forest located in the Newton Creek Watershed and was going to be clear-cut for 4 sports fields and turf grasslands. (2003) Now protected, DRN has created a restoration plan that will, among other actions, restore the stream to its original streambed.
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Invasive Species
Key player in the effort that successfully prevented introduction of Pacific Salmonids to the Delaware River system.
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Power Plants
Helped community organize and defeat proposed Conectiv gas fired power plant in Bordentown, NJ
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Regulation and Law
Special Protection Waters
Secured interim special protection waters designation for the Lower Delaware River (from the Water Gap to Washington Crossing).
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Secured creation of a new body of regulations at the Delaware River Basin Commission called Special Protection Waters Regulations (were created in response to a formal DRN petition filed in 1989 with the DRBC for ONRW designation for the middle and Upper Delaware River. This designation has successfully protected the Upper and Middle Delaware River from new pollution discharges and nonpoint source pollution.
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Stormwater
Regulations
October 10, 2006 the New Jersey Supreme Court denied the New Jersey's Builders Association petition challenging the 300 foot buffer rule contained in New Jersey's stormwater regulations adopted in 2004. The Delaware Riverkeeper Network had a key hand in securing this important and precedent setting regulatory requirement. Not only did we advocate for its specific inclusion in the regulations but we also provided back up materials used to support the inclusion and maintenance of this key provision.
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Waste Dumping
VX
After 3 years of advocacy and a lawsuit filed by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network's River Resources law clinic Dupont pulled out of the project it was pursuing with the US Army to dump 1200 tons of VX nerve agent waste in the Delaware River. The VX nerve agent waste would have been transport from a secure army depot in Newport, Indiana, across four states, at an average rate of 2 truckloads a day for a period of 2 years where it would be delivered to the Dupont Chambers Works for minimal additional treatment and then discharge. Just 2 weeks after the Delaware Riverkeeper Network filed suit the proposal was dropped and dead.
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