Climate Change and the Delaware Estuary

New Report: "Climate Change and the Delaware Estuary"

The Delaware Estuary was chosen as one of 6 national pilots for EPA's new Climate Ready Estuaries initiative. Our pilot had 4 goals:

1. Assess the various vulnerabilities associated with climate change for some key natural resources of this system.
2. Inventory various adaptation options to preserve or improve these resources.
3. Estimate the relative benefits of these adaptation tactics using a natural capital framework .
4. Develop an adaptation plan to provide guidance on the most beneficial monitoring and management priorities that should maximize the long-term sustainability for these resources.

The Delaware Estuary Climate Ready Pilot focused on drinking water, tidal wetlands and bivalve shellfish as case study resources. The product of the pilot was an adaptation plan for the Delaware Estuary.

A Climate Adaptation Workgroup (CAWG), affiliated with the PDE Science and Technical Advisory Committee, formed to oversee this climate ready pilot project. Three sub-groups of the CAWG may be formed to assist with the three case studies:

Three CCW SubGroups:

• Tidal Wetlands
• Drinking Water
• Shellfish

For more information on workgroup members, activities, and resources, please refer to the navigation table below. For more information, please contact either Danielle Kreeger or Priscilla Cole.

Work Group Facilitators: Danielle Kreeger & Priscilla Cole