Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC)

Managing, Protecting and Improving the Basin's Water Resources Since 1961 The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC or Commission) was formed in 1961 when President Kennedy and the governors of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York signed concurrent compact legislation—the Delaware River Basin Compact—into law, creating a regional body with the force of law to oversee a unified approach to managing a river system without regard to political boundaries. The Compact’s signing marked the first time that the federal government and a group of states joined as equal partners in a river basin planning, development, and regulatory agency. The current commission members are the four basin state governors and the commander of the North Atlantic Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who represents the federal government. The five members appoint alternate commissioners, with the governors selecting high-ranking officials from their state environmental agencies. DRBC has its own Executive Director and approximately 35 employees. Commission programs include water quality protection, water supply allocation, regulatory review, drought management, flood loss reduction, watershed planning, water conservation initiatives, education/outreach, and recreation. DRBC serves federal, state, and local interests by providing comprehensive, proactive water resource management for the Delaware River Basin. The commission holds regular business meetings and public hearings on policy matters, rule changes, and water resource projects under regulatory review. These sessions, along with meetings of the commission's various advisory committees, are all open to the public. Please visit DRBC's web site - www.drbc.gov - to learn more.