Nor’easter Express

Between two and four inches of rain with six inches in spots will make for some rip-roaring waterways.

The Delaware River at Riegelsville is already up to 10.21’ so a few more inches of rain could push it closer to flood stage than the last storm did (flood stage is 22’ @ Riegelsville). The Musconetcong River shot up to almost 4' overnight (1200 cfs) and while it's currently heading back down, another heavy dose of rain could take it out of its banks (6' is flood stage).

Last Saturday I spent the day staffing the DVD-ACA booth at The Jersey Paddler Expo, which was held at the the Garden State Expo Center. It was packed with people from all over the region (Lancaster, Dover, Cape May, NYC, etc.).

I fielded questions from folks interested in learning more about the Delaware River and other streams in the region, some wanted to know about camping opportunities, others about kayak instruction. The recent drowning in the Delaware River came up repeatedly. By the time the weekend ended I’m guessing we gave out several hundred copies of the Delaware River Water Trail Guide as well as ACA Safety brochures covering a variety of topics from cold water paddling to lowhead dams.

It’s clear that paddling (canoeing, kayaking and rafting) continues to grow in popularity and people are willing to spend money to pursue their passion. The potential constituency for river protection also continues to grow, although that will remain an untapped resource unless someone or some organization decides to reach out to this sleeping army of riverkeepers.

I am developing a mobilization and training program.