What a difference...

Last June the Delaware River and it's tribs were running at a trickle. The plants were wilting and oppressed by a drier, hotter than normal spring. Who remembers that in 2010 we endured the first of what would be many heatwaves -- in APRIL?

This year has (so far) been a weather paradise relatively speaking. Aquifers are recharged, the streams are perky, wetlands and vernal pools full, and it is surely the most lush greenery in recent memory (so far this century?).

Today was to be a river cleanup but the river is running several feet higher than our predetermined 'safe level' for that activity (about 5'), which involves picking up trash from islands and river banks. I'd like to say that we had to cancel because of high water, but the truth is it was cancelled 3 days ago due largely to apathy. The fact that it was rescheduled from June 4 also cut down on the number of signed up volunteers. Stay tuned as we may try again this fall.

The Delaware River @ Riegelsville crested at 11.5 feet last night and is falling this morning. That's about 6 feet more than the median flow for this date, which is huge. The river rose 5 feet in one day which is astounding for this time of year.

Upriver tributaries (from where I view the river in Upper Black Eddy) are also running high. The Musconetcong River @ Bloomsbury is around 3 feet (2.91). Yet some streams downriver from here showed there was little rain over the past few days. The Tohickon Creek is running at 1.91 feet which isn't enough water to paddle (without walking in some spots).

Folks who planned to go tubing or paddling the Delaware River today will be disappointed. It's muddy and not safe for novice paddlers and certainly unsafe for river potatoes (tubers).