The Department of the Interior announced a nearly $15.8 million investment in the Delaware River watershed to improve wildlife habitat, enhance resilience to climate change, and engage underserved communities in conservation.

The new funding was announced at an event on the banks of the Brandywine River. Overall, the awards will improve more than 10,000 acres through enhanced voluntary management and the voluntary treatment of polluted runoff using agricultural conservation practices on about 2,200 acres, restore 439 acres of wetlands, plant over 50,000 trees, and open more than 65 miles for fish passage.

Funding for 45 grants will be provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and William Penn Foundation through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF) and Delaware River Restoration Fund (DRRF), in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). This includes $4.7 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to support innovative green-infrastructure projects that contribute to the health and economic vitality of communities in the watershed.

"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a historic down payment in ensuring that future generations have clean air, drinkable water, fertile soil and an overall quality of life that is currently threatened by the worsening climate crisis,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “These investments in the resilience and restoration of America’s lands, rivers and watersheds will safeguard clean drinking water, protect wildlife habitat, and ensure a healthy, sustainable environment for our future.”

Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund Grants

Of the 45 grants, 36 have been awarded through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with additional support this year from the Bezos Earth Fund and AstraZeneca. A total of $14 million, up from $9.5 million in 2021, will fund projects in four priority areas: reducing flooding and runoff, restoring fish and wildlife habitats, improving water quality and enhancing safe public recreational access. This includes $4.7 million in IIJA funds, which will be directed to projects that use green infrastructure to support restoration and climate adaptation.

Delaware River Restoration Fund Grants

The remaining nine grants are funded by the Delaware River Restoration Fund (DRRF), which is supported by the William Penn Foundation. Grantee organizations have committed more than $16 million in match, for a total conservation impact of about $31.8 million.

See a full list of 2022 Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund and Delaware River Restoration Fund grants on the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation website.

The Delaware River watershed covers 13,539 square miles of land and water, running from the Catskills in New York through Pennsylvania and New Jersey, ultimately emptying into the Delaware Bay. The watershed is home to a remarkable variety of species and their habitats — from mountainside cold water streams to tidal salt marshes — that are economically, ecologically, and culturally important to the region.

Urban and suburban waterways play a major role in the watershed’s communities, with headwaters in neighboring rural and agricultural areas. Grant projects are implemented across this variety of landscapes, improving wildlife habitat and human communities, accelerating implementation of best practices, providing opportunities for people to engage with nature, and ultimately benefiting water quality locally and for those downstream.