Advocating for our water resources during ‘Hill Week’

March 16, 2022| Advocacy

By: Marty Kane

Every March, representatives of the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed (CDRW) visit federal officials to discuss issues of importance for the watershed, of which Lake Hopatcong is part. Last week, during a series of in-person and Zoom meetings., dubbed “Hill Week,” we, along with representatives from a wide range of organizations, met with legislators and staff representing our respective districts to advocate for legislation and funding to help improve the watershed. As a member of the 16-member CDRW Steering Committee, the Lake Hopatcong Foundation was asked to send a representative for the in-person portion of the week.  Our Board Chair, Marty Kane, represented us in meetings with several key lawmakers. One of the areas discussed with legislators was continued funding of the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, which is administered through the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. This fund provided a $480,000 grant to the Lake Hopatcong Commission last year to address three streambank stabilization projects that will address important stormwater issues on Lake Hopatcong.

The Coalition

The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed (CDRW) was formed to protect the four-state Delaware River basin from environmental threats, by uniting organizations working throughout the region to assure the entire watershed, including New Jersey’s largest lake, is properly funded, and sustainably managed to support people and wildlife. 

The Coalition is made up of more than 175 organizations ranging in size and reach from local groups on the front lines of watershed protection, to organizations that work on regional, state, and national levels. Last year, the Lake Hopatcong Foundation was elected to serve on the 16-member CDRW Steering Committee, which is comprised of local, regional, and national organizations who guide the Coalition's strategic goals and work plans, helping establish priorities and policies for the future. 

The Watershed 

The Delaware River basin flows from the Catskill Mountains of New York through Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and into the Atlantic at Delaware Bay. According to the CDRW website, the Delaware River watershed provides drinking water to 13.3 million people in the region - or nearly 5% of the total U.S. population. It is unique in providing drinking water to two out of the five largest metropolitan centers in the country: New York City and Philadelphia. Additionally, the watershed supports over $25 billion in annual economic activity, including recreation, ecotourism, hunting and fishing, water supply, and ports, and provides an estimated $21 billion in ecosystem services to the region, including water filtration, carbon sequestration, and habitats such as forests and wetlands.