Publications
The Upper Delaware Council, Inc. (UDC) produces several publications that may be downloaded below or are available upon request in hardcopy format.
UDC Newsletter
A Tri-Annual Publication
A free newsletter about the environment and people of the Upper Delaware River Valley in NY and PA, published three times a year in April, August, and December.
UDC 36th Annual River Valley Awards
A Tribute to 2024 Honorees
Spotlighting those who serve our communities, protect the resources, and enhance our quality of life in the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Valley in diverse and often unheralded capacities.
Learn about our 2024 Honorees »
Annual Reports
UDC Annual Report
A partnership for land, water, and people working together to conserve the Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River in New York and Pennsylvania.
Partnering to Protect the River Supplement
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River
A 19-page supplement full of articles about the history of the area, events, wildlife and more happening in the Upper Delaware River.
Anniversary Brochure
40-30-20 Celebrations in 2008 (8.5 x 14'')
The year 2008 commemorates the 40th anniversary of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
This law made possible the Upper Delaware's Scenic and Recreational designation, which is marking its 30th anniversary this year.
This year also commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Upper Delaware Council which was incorporated to facilitate local participation in natural and cultural resource conservation and the protection of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.
NPS Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River Foundation Document
The Guiding Document for the UPDE Park Unit
Every unit of the national park system is to have a foundation document that will provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the NPS unit as well as the unit’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes.
The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for NPS unit planning.
UDC Five-Year Operating Program
Federal Fiscal Years 2021-2025
Adopted January 7, 2021, the most recent Five-Year Operating Program establishes the UDC's mission statement and identifies eight areas of focus the UDC will use to guide its strategic operations and planning.
River Management Plan
The Final River Management Plan for the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.
Download the River Management Plan »
(Note that the pdf file is 221 pages and 19.9 MB in size, so it may take awhile to download.)
Land and Water Use Guidelines (section)
A 20-page section of the River Management Plan.
Download this section of the Plan »
For a PDF copy of the entire Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Final River Management Plan, dated November 1986, on a CD, please contact the UDC office by phone at 845-252-3022 or email.
Project Review Workbook
The Upper Delaware Council's updated 2020 Project Review Workbook is the main document used to perform substantial conformance and project review for member towns. Outlined is the process and procedure for review to ensure development remains consistent with the intent of the River Management Plan, Land and Water Use Guidelines and the Upper Delaware Legislation.
UDC Design Handbook
This 36-page document provides guidance to undertake construction in the designated river corridor in ways that ensure harmony with the existing landscape. It is geared toward builders, developers, and landowners planning construction activity, as well as local officials in charge of reviewing development plans.
Outstanding Remarkable Values
Wild and Scenic River Values of the Delaware River Basin
Outstandingly remarkable values (ORVs) are defined by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act as the characteristics that make a river worthy of special protection.
Thus, the foundation for wild and scenic river management is a clearly defined set of ORVs.
The Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council has issued criteria for identifying and defining these values.
Revitalizing the Monarch Butterfly
Fostering the Flyway by the Byway
This 16-panel, full-color brochure, which opens up to a 15 x 18-inch poster layout titled “Bring Home the Butterflies… And the Birds & Bees, and Bats & Beetles and Other Pollinators” addresses the significance of the Monarch declines.
This publication highlights the Monarch's life cycles and cross-continental migration patterns, conservation efforts that can be easily undertaken in one’s back yard to grow milkweed and nectar plants that are critical to their survival. Tips on how to attract Monarch's and best mowing practices to minimize negative impacts on their survival. A list of available pollinator plants in this area, and how to participate in national campaigns that are underway to protect the species are also included.
UDC Visitor Map & Guide
A Must Have for the Upper Delaware River Traveler!
An overview of activities, amenities, river safety tips, and conservation contacts for the Upper Delaware River Valley region.
This guide features a large 17 x 22” map that lists Public Lands and Accesses, Accommodations, Bait and Tackle, Fishing Guides, Restaurants and Food, Liveries and Campgrounds that are located within the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River corridor boundaries.
Download the Map & Guide (PDF) »
Annual Review of Code Enforcement Programs, 2022
The UDC operates under a long-term, renewable Cooperative Agreement with the National Park Service to oversee the implementation of the River Management Plan (RMP) for the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. To successfully meet the objectives of the Cooperative Agreement, the UDC performs an annual review of enforcement in each participating town/township to ensure that the goals, principles, and objectives of the RMP are being met.
The main stem of the Delaware River extends 330 miles from the confluence of its East and West Branches near Hancock, NY to the mouth of the Delaware Bay. While almost 7% of the nation’s population relies on the Delaware Basin’s waters for drinking and industrial use, the watershed drains only 0.4% of the continental U.S. land area. In all, the basin comprises 13,539 square miles, including portions of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.