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Delaware
In the Christina River Basin -
Delaware and Pennsylvania Work Together
A watershed program shared by Delaware and Pennsylvania establishes a
common goal to preserve the beneficial uses of Christina River basin
waters.
The basin's streams begin in Pennsylvania and Maryland and flow through the
hills of northern New Castle County, Delaware, to the Delaware River. The four
major streams, Brandywine Creek, White Clay Creek, Red Clay Creek, and the
Christina River, currently have impaired water quality with higher than normal
levels of sediment and bacteria. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels exceed
acceptable limits during the summer, and when stream flows are low in the fall.
These conditions threaten the public drinking water supply for northern New
Castle County.
For years, Delaware and Pennsylvania had different views on how to solve
the basin's problems. The major differences involved water quality standards,
perceptions of uniqueness, forms of government, and equal representation.
Delaware regards the Christina Basin as a drinking water source and requires a
higher degree of protection than Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, the Christina
River is used for wastewater assimilation and water supply purposes.
Finally, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) established a committee
with representatives from both states. The bistate Christina River Basin Water
Sources Committee, chaired by DRBC, is made up of district, county, state, and
federal agencies. Its principal purpose is to coordinate the water quality
management policies of Pennsylvania and Delaware within the watershed.
After collecting watershed data from both states, the committee found that
soil and geology maps differ across state lines. These inconsistencies point to
the need for interstate consultation and a watershed-based approach to water
problems.
Differences in water quality standards and government may be at the root of
the problem. Delaware is made up of a small number of county governments, which
permits easier administration of stormwater quality standards. But in
Pennsylvania's portion of the basin, over 40 different jurisdictions have each
implemented a different stormwater quality program.
The plans, which extend through 2000, include bioengineering and
riparian restoration demonstration projects, public awareness programs, and
stormwater detention retrofits.
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The Christina Basin Water Resources Committee is now developing a unified
strategy for improving the quality of streams that supply drinking water to
residents on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. The five-year cooperative
effort will address point and nonpoint source pollution, beginning with
monitoring and identifying various sources and types of pollutants.
Using a Total Maximum Daily Load approach will help control wastewater
discharges and provide the foundation for developing a water quality management
model of the watershed. Once this step is taken, an assessment and
identification of nonpoint sources, such as sediment, road oils, fertilizers,
and metals, will be incorporated into the model. Both Delaware and Pennsylvania
will use the watershed model to develop projects to control stormwater runoff
and reduce water quality impacts to the receiving streams.
CONTACT: Nancy Goggin
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
(302) 739-3451 |
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