Delaware: Surface-Water Resources

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Excerpt from Introduction

Delaware has abundant stream-water resources that are of a quality suitable for most uses including public, agricultural, and industrial supply; maintenance of aquatic life and wildlife; and recreation. In 1985, stream water supplied about 43 percent or 60 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of the estimated 139 Mgal/d of freshwater used in the State. About 82 percent of stream water withdrawn was used for public supply, 13 percent for agriculture, and 5 percent for industrial purposes (U.S. Geological Survey, 1990, p. 204). Most stream water used for public supply in Delaware is withdrawn and distributed in New Castle County, the northernmost county of the State, where surface water supplies an estimated 275,000 users (Martin W. Wollaston, Water Resources Agency for New Castle County, oral commun., May 1991). Excluding the Delaware River, which is brackish in the reach along the eastern boundary of the State, Brandywine, Red Clay, and White Clay Creeks and the Christina, St. Jones, and Nanticoke Rivers are the principal streams in the State. Brandywine Creek, which originates in Pennsylvania, is the largest source of fresh stream water in Delaware and is the primary source of water supply for Wilmington. Hoopes Reservoir, on a tributary to Red Clay Creek, is used for water supply when diminished flow or unacceptable quality limits the use of Brandywine Creek. Streams have not been developed appreciably for water supply in the central and southern parts of the State. However, streams in these areas are potential sources of small freshwater supplies in their nontidal reaches.