October 30, 2025|
By: Caitlin Doran
From data centers to road salt, from climate resiliency to outdoor equity, there was much to discuss at the 2025 Delaware River Watershed Forum, which, for the first time in the conference’s 12-year history, was held in northern New Jersey at County College of Morris (CCM) on Thursday, October 23.
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation continues to serve on the steering committee of the forum’s organizer, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, a network of 199 member organizations working together to advocate for a healthy and protected Delaware River Watershed. The work we do on behalf of Lake Hopatcong, supported by our members and volunteers, not only benefits the health of our lake but also contributes to the well-being of a much larger ecosystem—the Delaware River Watershed—which spans four states and covers roughly 13,500 square miles!
And because this year’s forum took place “in our backyard” in Morris County, we were proud to play a more expansive role, which included bringing the forum participants to Lake Hopatcong. We provided field trips (an eco-cruise of the lake compliments of Bridge Marina and a hike to Liffy Island), organized a welcome dinner for the 16-member steering committee at Stone Water, and helped coordinate a special reception at The Windlass. It was a true pleasure introducing so many upstream, downstream, state, and national partners to New Jersey’s largest lake over two days!
CCM President Dr. Anthony J. Iacono—and the entire college—could not have been more welcoming during the forum day, which featured plenary sessions, conversations with like-minded groups, and addresses from local officials. We extend our sincere thanks to Senator Anthony Bucco, Congressman Tom Kean Jr., NJDEP Deputy Commissioner Kati Angarone, Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, and Kim Gaddy, Founder and Director of the South Ward Environmental Alliance, for their informative presentations, and to all the attendees for their thoughtful collaboration.
An emerging issue brought up for discussion by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) at this year’s event was the rapid development of data centers and their potential impact on the watershed. The Delaware is currently the second largest electricity-producing watershed in the nation, making it an attractive place within the PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland) grid for these centers, which store and process large amounts of data, and are critical to the development of AI applications. According to the DRBC, there are already 63 data centers throughout the basin with another 9 proposed. In New Jersey, there are between 70 and 80 data centers (the closest to Lake Hopatcong is in Parsippany). The technological and economic growth of data centers must be balanced against their water and energy use and the resulting pressure on local infrastructure. Just this month, a bill with bipartisan support that would require data centers to report their water and electricity usage was conditionally vetoed by the governor recently, pending additional provisions.
Another of the environmental challenges discussed, one that resonated strongly with our team, was the concern over road salt use and its impact on local water quality. While we at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation already conduct road salt monitoring around Lake Hopatcong, we were excited to learn from the DRBC about its upcoming Road Salt Reduction Pilot Program, which will partner with select municipalities in the Basin. The initiative aims to better understand current winter maintenance practices, identify practical reduction strategies, and ultimately decrease salt pollution in local waterways. We shared this opportunity with the mayors of the four towns surrounding Lake Hopatcong, encouraging their participation to help shape effective, regionally coordinated approaches to road salt management that protect both public safety and water quality.
The Delaware River Watershed Forum provides an opportunity to discuss important topics and identify areas of emerging concern, like the above, as well as successes and challenges throughout the watershed. Thanks to the coalition and the forum, we are able to share resources, advocate for more funding, and work together for a healthier watershed. I mentioned that the group currently stands at 199 members. Perhaps group number 200 is reading this right now! If you’d like to learn more about the forum, the coalition, or our role, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@lakehopatcongfoundation.org.
