Delaware River, Main waterway between New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, United States.
The Delaware River runs 282 miles (454 kilometers) from its source in the Catskill Mountains, forming natural borders between four states until reaching Delaware Bay. It passes through forests, farmland, and cities, with its course alternating between narrow sections with rapids and wider calm stretches.
General George Washington crossed this waterway with 2,400 soldiers on December 25, 1776, launching a strategic attack that changed the course of the American Revolution. The river served as a major trade route in the following centuries and helped Philadelphia grow into a large port.
The Lenape people called this waterway Lenapewihittuk and considered it the largest in their territory before European settlers arrived. Today, people along its banks use paths for walking and cycling, while anglers try their luck for bass or trout at many spots.
The river system supplies drinking water to 17 million people and maintains one of the largest freshwater ports in the United States at Philadelphia. Many sections are open to canoeists or kayakers, though water levels can vary considerably depending on season and rainfall.
This waterway contains the nation's first Urban National Wildlife Refuge and supports more than 200 bird species, including bald eagles that winter in the northeast. At certain spots, you can watch large schools of migratory fish heading upstream to spawn in spring.
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