Governor Meyer Declares Statewide Drought Watch

Governor Matt Meyer has issued a statewide drought watch due to precipitation levels experiencing a steep and steady decline throughout the state for the second time in three years, particularly in Kent and Sussex Counties. The Governor declared a drought watch after receiving guidance from the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council (WSCC).

The drought watch is in effect until further notice. During this time, Delawareans are asked to voluntarily reduce outdoor uses of water and practice wise water use in their homes in order to preserve the state’s water resources for more necessary uses.

The Governor’s decision follows a May 26 assessment of drought conditions by the WSCC and the subsequent recommendation from the Governor’s Drought Response Committee on May 29. The council found that the state would need to receive 21 inches of rainfall over the next three months – summer months when evaporation is at its highest – to recharge Delaware’s water supply back to normal levels.

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New research details PFAS prevalence in the Delaware River Basin

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is sharing the latest results of extensive field investigation and monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in PFAS Water Quality and Fish Tissue Assessment Study, a report marking more than 20 years of dedicated research into so-called forever chemicals within the Delaware River Basin.

The new research confirms PFAS contamination is both widespread and persistent in the Delaware River and selected tributaries. Surface water concentrations are increasing at a faster rate than water volume as the river moves downstream into Delaware Bay, suggesting there are ongoing inputs from unknown sources like industrial facilities, wastewater discharges and stormwater.

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Keep it Clean NJ!

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Priya Jain announced that the Department is launching an anti-litter campaign aimed at summer travelers. The main component will be flying an aerial banner over the Jersey Shore with the message: Keep it Clean NJ.

“With the start of summer, New Jersey’s highways will be filled with people driving to vacation destinations across the state – whether they are going to hike the Appalachian Trail in North Jersey or going down to the Shore to enjoy our beaches and boardwalks,” NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain said. “Keeping our roadways, bike paths, and boardwalks clean and litter free is everyone’s responsibility. Flying a banner in the skies above the Jersey Shore, as well as over the World Cup matches, is a creative and simple way to remind millions of people to respect the environment and keep New Jersey beautiful by simply putting trash in its proper place.”

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Delaware Takes New Approach to Improve Breeding Success

Least terns, a bird historically found each summer along many of Delaware’s bay and Atlantic Ocean beaches, have faltered in recent years into their current listing as a state endangered species – leading the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to take a new approach for giving the birds a lift into a better future.

Identified by their small size, silvery-gray back and wings, yellow bill, and black cap with a white triangle on their forehead, least terns can be a common sight at Cape Henlopen State Park from May through August. A beach-nesting species, the terns form small colonies above the high tide line where breeding pairs typically lay two eggs on the sand in small scrapes – putting their nests at risk from predation and severe weather events.

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EPA Announces $103 Million to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $103,084,000 in funding to protect New Jersey from exposure to lead in drinking water. This investment will go directly to states through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and is part of EPA’s unwavering commitment to Making America Healthy Again.

This funding will go toward finding and replacing lead pipes (also known as lead service lines) that deliver water to homes. Communities can use these funds for identifying lead pipes, planning removal projects, and funding replacement of these lead service lines. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that is especially harmful to children. Each lead pipe removed and replaced delivers real, tangible human health benefits in communities across our great nation.

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Spring Stopover Puts Delaware at Center of Annual Shorebird Migration Phenomenon

Each May, thousands of shorebirds of different species pause their marathon migration – while enroute from wintering in South America back to their Arctic breeding grounds – to refuel in Delaware Bay. There, monitored from the moment they arrive by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and DNREC’s Delaware Shorebird Project, they feast for several weeks on the massive spawning of horseshoe crab eggs, an interconnecting system that goes back millennia – and makes for a modern-day ecological spectacle like no other in the animal kingdom.

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DNREC Expects to Complete Channel Marking Projects for Major Boating Waters Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced that the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section has begun channel marker installation and maintenance activities on five major boating waters in Delaware’s Inland Bays. DNREC’s intent, while weather dependent, is to complete channel marking and related maintenance ahead of the Memorial Day weekend so boaters can get underway on the traditional start of their season.

While some smaller portions of the project could extend into early June, the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section within the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship aims to bring five channel marking jobs to fruition ahead of the holiday weekend. All these efforts will address navigation safety concerns, replace missing aids to navigation, and restore channel marking functionality in several state waterways impacted by storms and shifting conditions over the last year.

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DNREC Releases 2026-2030 Delaware Wetland Program Plan

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has released a five-year Delaware Wetland Program Plan as a guide for identifying wetland research, education, management and conservation needs within the state. Wetland program plans are voluntarily developed and implemented by state agencies and Native American tribes for articulating what they aim to accomplish with wetland programs over time.

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Heat Advisory until 08:00PM Tuesday

* WHAT…Heat index values up to 97 degrees expected.

* WHERE…In New Jersey, Mercer, Camden, Gloucester, and Northwestern Burlington Counties. In Pennsylvania, Delaware, Eastern Montgomery, Lower Bucks, and Philadelphia Counties.

* WHEN…From noon today to 8 PM EDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS…Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Record setting temperatures possible through Wednesday. Tuesday will likely be the hottest day with highs in the mid 90s throughout the urban corridor.

* AFFECTED AREAS: MERCER … GLOUCESTER … CAMDEN … NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON … DELAWARE … PHILADELPHIA … EASTERN MONTGOMERY … LOWER BUCKS

Instructions:Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

DNREC Communications Team Earns Multiple First-Place Awards from Delaware Press Association

DNREC earned multiple first-place honors from the Delaware Press Association, recognizing its Office of Communications for excellence in communication and storytelling.