The White Clay Creek was declared a National Wild and Scenic River in 2000, the first time a designation was made based on an entire watershed basis rather than the usual river corridor basis. The 107 square-mile watershed, in two states, includes nearly 200 stream miles which run through private and public lands. The White Clay Creek is one of only twelve Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers, guided by a public and private Management Committee. The Management Committee is composed of local citizens and private landholders, representatives of conservation groups, the States of Delaware and Pennsylvania, all 13 watershed municipalities, and the National Park Service. UD’s Water Resource Agency, part of UD’s Institute for Public Administration in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, prepares annual “report cards” on the state of the watershed for the Management Committee, grading classifications that include landscape, hydrology, water quality and habitat.
Items on display in Library exhibit:
1. Delaware State Parks, The White Clay Creek Watershed: Ours to enjoy, ours to protect, 2001
2. Two postcards of the White Clay Creek, 1900 and 1907 (Delaware postcard collection, University of Delaware Library)