Delaware
Where is the Delaware River deepest? New map poster shows 113-foot answer
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On vacation from France, Sandrine Fontaine and her husband, got the memory of a lifetime as they paddled near the coastline.
Sandrine Fontaine
Where is the deepest part of the 330-mile Delaware River? Where it is also widest, where the river meets the Delaware Bay? Try Narrowsburg, New York. A new map has been published showing the mysterious contours of what is called the “Big Eddy Narrows.”
The river, the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi, is 113 feet deep at River Mile 290, counting from Delaware Bay, and visible from the bridge connecting Pennsylvania and New York.
The Delaware River’s average depth is only four to five feet, although holes of 12 to 18 feet are not unusual.
A diver with a local search and rescue team said no light penetrates the bottom at all.
Made a map poster
The map is available as an 11-by-17-inch poster that its creator has donated to benefit the non-profit Upper Delaware Council (UDC), announced UDC Executive Director Laurie Ramie.
The map was developed by Lisa Glover of Honesdale, who became enthralled with this unique, local claim to fame of the Delaware River and contacted the UDC.
Although one might muse that the hamlet of Narrowsburg should have been named Deepestburg, its name is derived from its other distinction of being the main stem’s narrowest part. The river courses through a rock canyon before the bridge, where it is only 200 feet wide.
Where to see it
The Big Eddy Observation Deck on Main Street in Narrowsburg has an interpretative sign telling these distinctive topographic features. Here the public also finds a good place to watch for bald eagles as rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and rafts go by.
Perhaps very few people paddling by or on shore looking at this scenic part of the river are aware of the fantastic underwater depth.
This very deep part of the Delaware also is easily seen from the Darbytown Access on the Pennsylvania side.
The interpretative sign at the deck offers two theories of how the 113-foot hole was created. The first is that a long-drowned “plunge pool” was created from a glacial waterfall. The other theory is that a pothole was formed by tumbling rocks scoured out through erosion.
A whirlpool is often visible at the Big Eddy, where the deepest point is located just downstream from the narrows.
Log rafts spun like tops
The deeps at Narrowsburg have been known for a very long time, impacting 19th century log rafters. The Wayne County Herald’s Feb. 20, 1873, edition reported that J.I. Appleby and J.E. Miller, of Narrowsburg, out of curiosity took soundings of the river from a boat. They concluded the river was 101 feet. “Rafts in coming down the Delaware are frequently drawn into this eddy and sometimes detained for days,” the article reads. “Whenever the wind is blowing with any force, rafts are sure to be drawn into this eddy where they have to remain until the wind calms.”
The Herald republished an unattributed column from The Middletown Mercury on Jan. 20, 1881, stating that log rafts caught in the Big Eddy “may spin around like a top for an hour.” Rafts so caught could create a river traffic jam of a hundred rafts. “I have seen 500 rafts in here at one time, some of them on top of each other, and some turned up on edge, and others bottom side up,” the columnist penned.
Extensive research
The UDC press release states that Glover read articles from the UDC’s “The Upper Delaware” newsletter which led her to interviews with National Park Service divers who had measured the hole. Glover also found various illustrations.
She spoke of her desire for an accurately detailed map of the river bottom with the hope of potentially solving the mystery. Although topographic maps exist showing the elevation of landforms above “sea level,” bathymetric maps show depths of landforms below water.
Glover, in her research, discovered that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) had published a LiDAR scan of the Delaware River in 2020 and reached research scientist John Young, who provided a digital map focused on the Big Eddy section, the press release states.
Obtaining a map
From her research, Glover designed a topobathymetric color map with 10-foot contour lines and to-scale cross sections of The Narrows and The Deeps, printed 50 copies, and offered a stack to the UDC to share with the public as a fundraiser.
The Big Eddy Narrows poster is available for a $20 donation to the UDC.
Contact Administrative Support Stephanie Driscoll at stephanie@upperdelawarecouncil.org or 845-252-3022, or stop by the UDC’s office at 211 Bridge St. in Narrowsburg (next to the firehouse) on weekdays for pick-up.
Payment must be by check or cash. Add $3 for mail orders.
Glover is affiliated with Highlights for Children, the Stourbridge Project, the Wayne County Arts Alliance and the Center on Rural Innovation, for which she is their Placemaking Fellow.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master of engineering degree from Lehigh University and likes to use a paddle board. Her website is lisathemaker.com.
Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.
Inside Wilmington’s Constitution Yards Beer Garden
Inside Wilmington’s Constitution Yards Beer Garden
A controversial Senate bill that would require labor union work be used for school projects jumped its latest hurdle in House committee, despite industry opposition along its legislative journey.
Backed by Sen. Jack Walsh, the measure aims to mandate school construction or renovation projects costing $5 million or more to include a project labor agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council for work carried out after Dec. 31.
Project Labor agreements ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, specify benefits and wages, while enforcing safety.
If passed, this bill would be Delaware’s first project labor agreement requirement law, according to Walsh. At least 12 other states have similar laws in place, according to House Majority Whip Ed Osienski, who serves as the bill’s primary backer in the House.
Supporters have argued that this bill will ensure these projects are completed on time, with high quality labor.
During the June 10 hearing, Taylor Hawk, director of Legislative and Political Strategy for Delaware State Education Association, a union that represents state educators, also argued these agreements will ensure students go to school in the highest quality buildings.
“Policies like PLAs help ensure that publicly funded school construction is completed safely to the highest standards of quality, while supporting the workers who build and maintain these critical community assets,” she said.
It’s not just quality labor supporters have pointed out. Bill backers claim requiring these agreements will be better for workers, too, as unionized laborers have greater protections.
Sam Noel, a representative of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, said requiring these agreements will safeguard workers’ wages.
However, several opponents also packed inside the House chamber. Some told lawmakers this bill will not only take money and jobs away from in-state small and minority-owned businesses, but weaken their ability to compete with other companies and states.
Jason Stallings works for Quality Exteriors based in Harrington, which specializes in commercial roofing. During the hearing, Stallings said around 75% of the company’s yearly work comes from school and state projects.
But there are no union roofing contractors in Delaware, he said, so the work would have to fall to out-of-state laborers.
“The passing of SB 272 will pretty much be the end of our company that’s been in business for 40 years in Delaware,” Stallings said.
Others also argued this bill will lead to potential layoffs and increase project costs on the taxpayers’ dime.
Brian Maxwell, director of the Delaware Office of Management and Budget, also said construction projects with a labor agreement cost roughly 30% more per square foot than those without.
“If the cost of school construction is escalated by just 10 to 20%, that will further place significant pressure on both the state and local school district budgets,” Maxwell said during the hearing.
The Sussex County Vocational Technical School District is building a new high school in Georgetown, now expected to open in September 2028. Superintendent Kevin Carson told lawmakers this bill stands to increase costs on that project.
In the hearing, Carson said requiring a project labor agreement would bump construction costs of the high school by about 22%, costing taxpayers an additional $22 million. Opening is already delayed by one year, as the district will increase the size to accommodate 1,800 students.
The bill will now head to the House chamber for further consideration. The bill already passed close to party lines in the Senate on May 21.
Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
Sophia Voight is a growth and development reporter. Reach her with feedback and story tips at svoight@delawareonline.com.
When successfully remediated and redeveloped, brownfields are placed back into productive use, like the UD STAR Campus building depicted here occupying the site of a former automotive assembly plant /Delaware DNREC photo
Early-bird Registration for Conference Ends June 30
Environmental professionals, developers, municipal leaders, policymakers and community stakeholders are invited to register now for the Delaware Brownfield Conference to take place Thursday, Aug. 20 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Registration and conference details are available on the de.gov/brownfields webpage.
Hosted by the DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances, the conference offers a full day of practical learning, networking and collaboration focused on redevelopment outcomes.
The conference will also highlight how Delaware’s Brownfield Development Program is helping move projects forward by supporting the cleanup and redevelopment, reuse or expansion of properties that may be perceived to be environmentally contaminated, and turning abandoned and underused sites into new opportunities for commercial use, housing, jobs and local investment.
That value is underscored by a recently published study, “Economic Impact on Delaware’s Economy: The Brownfield Program 2025.” Commissioned by DNREC and prepared by the University of Delaware’s Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research, the study reviewed 113 brownfield sites with remediation completed between 2015 and 2022 and found significant increases in property values, along with gains in employment and tax revenues. For example, the report found the studied sites supported 5,853 jobs in 2022 and paid more than $2.3 million more in county property taxes in 2024 than in their completion year. Attendees can learn more about these findings and related topics at the conference.
Early registration discounts are available through June 30, including general admission early-bird pricing and a special rate for students and government/nonprofit professionals who register by the deadline.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available for organizations that want to be supportive of the conference and brownfield redevelopment. Sponsorship levels include benefits such as conference registration, promotion in the program and email marketing and exhibit space. For sponsorship information, email Melissa Leckie of the Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances.
About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances ensures Delaware’s wastes are managed to protect human life, health, safety and the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn.
Media Contacts: Alyssa Imprescia, Alyssa.imprescia@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov
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Wednesday, June 10, 2026 10:59AM
LEWES, Del. (WPVI) — The Delaware Bay has a new defense in the case of a potential oil spill.
The Delaware Responder was officially christened on Tuesday in Lewes.
The 65-foot oil spill response boat carries 2,000 feet of boom, which helps contain an oil spill.
The Delaware Bay and River Cooperative, a non-profit group made up of companies that receive, produce or transport oil on the Delaware River and Bay, said the boat also has onboard oil storage for recovery operations.
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