VIENNA – Nanticoke Watershed Alliance released the Nanticoke River Fifteen-Year Report Card on Sept. 25, which examines data collected from 2008-2022 by Nanticoke Creekwatcher volunteers. The report card is available online at nanticokeriver.org/15yrc/.

The report card finds mixed results, with the Delaware Headwaters and Marshyhope Creek regions having the healthiest waterways, while Broad Creek showed the largest decline over this period of time. The Lower Nanticoke was the only region to show improvement over the 15-year period.

The NWA also examined water temperatures along the mainstem of the river, averaging five-year blocks (2008-12, 2013-17, and 2018-22). Although the Delaware Headwater river sites experienced their highest water temperature averages during the middle five-year period (2013-17), the Upper Nanticoke and Lower Nanticoke sites showed highest average temperatures in

the most recent five-year block (2018-22).

Higher water temperatures hold less oxygen, which can stress and kill fish and other life; they also fuel algal blooms, which can be dangerous for animals and humans and create a number of water quality issues.

In addition, the report card includes results from the 2022 season. The Delaware Headwaters scored highest of all regions, earning a B-. All other regions scored C+ or C.

“Although most regions were flat year-to-year, we observed and measured disturbing changes at the Quantico Creek site during 2022. The site showed broad declines in every parameter except for dissolved oxygen,” a statement from the group said. “We also saw continued issues related to excessive nutrients in the Rewastico Creek system. Both Quantico Creek and the Rewastico Creek are in the Lower Creeks region.”

The Nanticoke Creekwatchers Program began in 2007 with a short, pilot season. Since 2008, over 150 Nanticoke Creekwatchers, community scientists who collect water samples and take measurements directly in their adopted waterways, have participated in this program.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative are also key program partners.