Contact: Kathy Bunting-Howarth, Division of Water Resources, phone: (302) 739-9949
or Martha Corrozi, University of Delaware, Institute for Public Administration - Water Resources Agency, phone: (302) 831-4931

Christina Basin Public Forum Set for June 20 in Wilmington/Strategies to Reduce Water Pollution to be Discussed

The public is encouraged to attend the Christina Basin forum scheduled for Tuesday, June 20 from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. at the Delaware Center for Horticulture, 1810 North DuPont Street in Wilmington. The forum is convened by the DNREC’s Division of Water Resources and the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration – Water Resources Agency.

The forum is designed to educate and engage citizens in a discussion regarding which strategies the Department and the community should use to reduce pollution in the Christina Basin. The Christina Basin includes the Brandywine, White Clay, and Red Clay Creeks, the Christina River, and the land that drains into them. The Basin encompasses portions of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland and is the primary source of drinking water for over 60% of Delaware residents.

According to Martha Corrozi, with the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Adminstration - Resources Agency, the forum will include information and discussion on three strategic approaches to reduce pollution in the basin. “We want to encourage people who live in the communities of the Christina Basin to attend this forum and provide comment,” said Ms. Corrozi. “Our goal is to develop a coordinated approach to reduce pollution, that includes scientific input, appropriate regulation, and public involvement - to ensure all voices are heard,” she said.

In addition to the public, representatives of industry, public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions and organizations, education institutions, and local and state governments are urged to attend and provide input to the strategies.

“We hope to develop a Tributary Action Team of concerned citizens and other stakeholders who understand the unique challenges of improving water quality in the Christina Basin,” said Kathy Bunting-Howarth, DNREC’s Coordinator for the state’s Tributary Action Team Program. “We have been successful with Tributary Action Teams in other watersheds and want to work with citizens who live in the Christina Basin to develop a Pollution Control Strategy that their communities can accept,” she said.

DNREC’s Division of Water Resources’ Watershed Assessment Section develops water quality monitoring strategies and modeling, conducts watershed basin evaluations, and works with stakeholders to develop pollution control strategies, including Tributary Action Teams. For information on the tributary strategy program, visit the DNREC website at http://www.dnrec.state.de.us/water2000/
Sections/Watershed/ws/

The Water Resources Agency at the University of Delaware, Institute for Public Administration provides technical assistance for water resources and watershed policy and to governments in Delaware and the Delaware Valley through the University's public service, education, and research role. For more information on the forum, contact Martha Corrozi at (302) 831-4931 or mcorrozi@udel.edu 
 

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