Delaware River

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Delaware River
Delaware River above the Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania

Delaware River above the Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania

Data
Water code US :  217887
location New York , Pennsylvania , New Jersey , Delaware (USA)
River system Delaware River
confluence from East Branch and West Branch Delaware Rivers
41 ° 56 ′ 20 ″  N , 75 ° 16 ′ 45 ″  W
Source height 269  m
muzzle Delaware Bay Coordinates: 39 ° 25 ′ 57 "  N , 75 ° 31 ′ 44"  W 39 ° 25 ′ 57 "  N , 75 ° 31 ′ 44"  W.
Mouth height 0  m
Height difference 269 ​​m
Bottom slope 0.45 ‰
length 595 km
Catchment area 36,568 km²
Drain MNQ
MQ
MHQ
 122 m³ / s
371 m³ / s
1835 m³ / s
Right tributaries Lehigh River , Schuylkill River , Christina River
Big cities Philadelphia
National Wild and Scenic River
The Delaware River Basin

The Delaware River Basin

East Branch Delaware River
Papotunk River, Pepachton River, Popacton River
East Branch Delaware River at Margaretville

East Branch Delaware River at Margaretville

Data
Water code US :  949000
location Delaware County in New York (USA)
River system Delaware River
Drain over Delaware River → Atlantic Ocean
source in Delaware County, New York,
42 ° 21 ′ 21 ″  N , 74 ° 31 ′ 3 ″  W
Union with West Branch to the Delaware River
41 ° 56 ′ 20 ″  N , 75 ° 16 ′ 45 ″  W
Mouth height 269  m

Reservoirs flowed through Pepacton reservoir
West Branch Delaware River
Hamden Covered Bridge

Hamden Covered Bridge

Data
Water code US :  969117
location New York , Pennsylvania (USA)
River system Delaware River
Drain over Delaware River → Atlantic Ocean
source in Broome County, New York,
42 ° 27 ′ 16 "  N , 74 ° 36 ′ 1"  W
Union with East Branch to the Delaware River
41 ° 56 ′ 20 ″  N , 75 ° 16 ′ 45 ″  W
Mouth height 269  m

Reservoirs flowed through Cannonsville Reservoir

At 595 kilometers in length, the Delaware River is one of the larger rivers in the eastern United States .

geography

Its two headwaters , the East Branch Delaware River (also Popacton River ) and the West Branch Delaware River , arise in the Catskill Mountains in the US state of New York . After they merge to form the Delaware River, this then forms the border between the states of New York and Pennsylvania and, further on, between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where it flows past the city of Philadelphia . Finally it flows into the Atlantic Ocean in the Delaware Bay between the state of Delaware and New Jersey .

The Delaware river basin covers approximately 30,000 km² . The ocean current penetrates far up the Delaware, making it accessible to larger ships as far as Philadelphia. Major tributaries are the Lehigh River and the Schuylkill in Pennsylvania. The Delaware-Hudson and Morris-Essex canals connect the Delaware River with the Hudson River , the Union and Schuylkill Canal with the Susquehanna . At Bordentown there was a navigable connection over the Raritan and Delaware Canal to New Brunswick (New Jersey) on the Raritan River from 1834 to 1932 .

Three major stretches of the Delaware River are protected as the National Wild and Scenic River . On the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the river flows through the Delaware Water Gap, a breakthrough valley . This is where the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is located .

Surname

The river was named after Thomas West, Lord De La Warr , the second governor of the British colony of Virginia, and in the 17th century was the home of the Lenni Lenape , who in turn were named after the Delaware river . The English in Maryland used the names Delaware Bay Indians and Delaware Indians , although that name did not come into use in Pennsylvania until after these Indians had moved west from the Delaware River.

history

On the night of 25 on December 26, 1776 crossed General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War and his army the river in a surprising maneuver toward Trenton (New Jersey) , the stationed there Hessian regiments of the British army to attack. Most of the British army was in its winter quarters and the American attack the next day came as such a surprise that the Hessians suffered a crushing defeat in the battle of Trenton . The victory significantly increased the morale of American troops, who had previously been in a desperate state.

bridges

The Delaware River as the border river between the state of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and New York is crossed by several large (mostly toll ) road bridges, which are operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority , the Delaware River Port Authority , the Burlington County Bridge Commission or the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission operated. These include, among others (in the downstream direction):

In addition, some rail bridges cross the Delaware River operated by Amtrak , CSX or Norfolk Southern Railway . These include, among others (in the downstream direction):

Web links

Commons : Delaware River  - Collection of Pictures, Videos, and Audio Files
Commons : East Branch Delaware River  - Collection of Pictures, Videos, and Audio Files
Commons : West Branch Delaware River  - Collection of Pictures, Videos, and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b East Branch Delaware River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
  2. ^ West Branch Delaware River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
  3. ↑ National Wild & Scenic Rivers - Delaware River ( Memento from November 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive )