May is here and with it, come thoughts of getting outside and maybe taking a paddle on the Delaware River through the national park.
But, according to officials of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, there are rules while paddling on the river as to when to wear life jackets. Electric Swivel Clamp
While it is good advice to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved vest, park rules make it mandatory to wear one when the river level - as measured by the river gauge at Montague - is 8 feet or above.
The heaving rains of the past weekend have put the river level at close to 15 feet as of 2 p.m. Monday. At 15 feet, the river, which is its own unit of the National Park Service, is officially closed to any boating activity.
For quick reference, the river readings are available here.
While the river was just under 15 feet at 2 p.m., the level was forecast to crest at 18 feet Monday night and to remain above 10 feet through the week. Water temperatures at gauges of tributaries to the river are in the low 50s.
At the 15-foot level, the NPS closes the river corridor and all access points. The Delaware River has its headwaters in the Catskill Mountains and a rise in river levels brings colder water temperatures, swifter currents, increased sediment and debris, and increased hazards, downstream.
Officials reminded park visitors that “wearing a lifejacket anytime one is on or near the river is the most important thing people can do to keep themselves safe. It is even more important when the river is high, cold, and swift.”
Cylindrical Rechargeable Battery The land in Pennsylvania and New Jersey on either side of the river are part of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, from just south of the I-80 bridge to just south of the Delaware Water Gap. That part of the river carries the designation of Delaware River Scenic River, a separate unit of the National Park Service which is overseen by the administration of the recreation area.