Canoers enjoying the Delaware River   Photo courtesy of Delaware River Network The Delaware River is the last remaining undammed river in the eastern United States and is under constant threat from pollution, development, flooding, dredging, deepening, and overuse by the millions of people that rely on its waters for drinking water, commerce, and recreation. The Delaware runs through four states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Although its watershed comprises only four-tenths of a percent of the entire contiguous United States land, it provides drinking water for 5% of the nation's population, including New York City and Philadelphia. Despite these ...Read More »

The University of Pennsylvania has dedicated the academic year of 2010-2011 as the Year of Water in order to shed light on regional, national, and global water issues. The University of Pennsylvania will be hosting numerous conferences, exhibits, and other events on campus. Several organizations, governments, and conservation groups will be hosting similar events in the upcoming year to address issues such as water quality and water resources management. The following list highlights some of the interesting events taking place in the United States and abroad in 2011. 2nd Annual Choose Clean Water – Chesapeake Bay Restoration Conference Washington, DC January 10-12 ...Read More »

Photo by Brian Gratwicke Reedville, Virginia is like most small fishing villages along the Atlantic Coast. The town has a couple churches, some bed and breakfast inns, an annual fishing contest, and even a fishing museum. However, Reedville is strikingly different than most other fishing towns. It is completely dependent on one fish and one fishing company – the menhaden and Omega Protein, Inc. Despite the town’s quaint appearance, Omega Protein’s dominance over the menhaden fishery  “reduction” industry has led Reedville to become the second largest port in the country in terms of total poundage. At one point, ...Read More »

Author: Howard R. Ernst Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009, 164pps In Fight for the Bay, Howard R. Ernst’s follow-up to his 2003 book, Chesapeake Bay Blues, Ernst sharpens his focus on the Chesapeake Bay and examines the reasons behind country’s failure to restore the Bay. In addition to Ernst’s in-depth analysis, he includes his suggestions for returning the once vibrant ecosystem to its original state. Throughout the book, Ernst cites specific evidence of the failing Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, which he cleverly uses a metaphor for the failure of the political and economic machines to produce any enforceable regulations for its ...Read More »

Along a small stream section, scientists are researching aquatic plants and microorganisms. However, this “field” research is unlike any other in the world. The scientists, and the stream itself, are contained entirely within a laboratory. This is not a scene from a futuristic science fiction film, but rather the Stroud Water Research Center in southeastern Pennsylvania. This unique laboratory contains a flowing stream channel which has been diverted from the White Clay Creek, allowing scientists to conduct advanced experiments on aquatic ecosystems without ever having to step outside. In addition to its stream and river research, Stroud has an ...Read More »