They outlived the dinosaurs, but will they outlive humans?
Join the fight to save the critically endangered and genetically unique population of Atlantic Sturgeon of the Delaware River.
Photo by Aileen Devlin, Virginia Sea Grant / CC BY-ND-2.0
Act Now to save our sturgeon!
Our Campaign to Save the Atlantic Sturgeon of the Delaware River
The Delaware River is home to a genetically unique population of Atlantic Sturgeon found nowhere else in the world. Early American settlers said there were so many Sturgeon, they could cross the River walking on their backs. But today, there are less than 250 spawning adults left of the River’s genetically unique line. In 2012 the Sturgeon were listed as federally protected and endangered species, yet resource managers and regulatory agencies continue to neglect their duties to protect the health, habitat, and safety of the Sturgeon. Soon it will be too late. The following agencies have lacked in their duties:
- The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) has failed to pass legal standards needed to ensure the Sturgeon have enough oxygen in the water to support every aspect of their lives.
- The US EPA is, like the DRBC, failing to ensure needed pollution protection standards.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers keeps dredging and deepening the River, inflicting direct harm on the Sturgeon and permitting passage of bigger ships that slice the Sturgeon with their propellers or bash them to death with their immense ship size.
- The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) says yes to every dredging, development, port, industrial operation, and powerplant put before them, despite their direct harms on the Sturgeon.
The Sturgeon need your help TODAY before it is too late!
Latest Press
September 22, 2025
Legal Victory for the Endangered Delaware River Atlantic Sturgeon
Philadelphia, PA – Today, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) finalized the rule revising outdated water quality standards for the 38 miles of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington. The new rule was developed and released in response to a legal petition, and subsequent litigation, led by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. The new standards recognize the importance of good quality water, including oxygen, for aquatic life in the river, including the genetically unique population of sturgeon that live there, and the new standards recognize that a healthy Delaware River is a driver of economic value to our region.
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July 21, 2025
Legal Victory for the Endangered Delaware River Atlantic Sturgeon
A federal judge signed off on the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s Joint Motion for Stipulated Judgment in its lawsuit against the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This judicial order creates a legally binding deadline for EPA to finalize water quality standards for the Delaware Estuary by September 22, 2025.
This agreement has been decades in the making. In 2013, DRN petitioned the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to issue much-needed upgraded water quality criteria for the Delaware Estuary. When it became clear that the DRBC was failing to protect the health of this stretch of the River, DRN and partners filed a legal petition with the EPA pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and Administrative Procedure Act in April 2022.
In December 2022, the EPA granted DRN’s petition and issued an Administrator’s determination which found that updated water quality standards are necessary to meet the requirements of the CWA. The EPA published proposed water quality standards in December 2023, but failed to publish final standards within the 90-day window required by the CWA. As a result, DRN filed suit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in October 2024.
DRN will continue to be a watchdog for this stretch of the River to ensure the new water quality standards are published by the date intended and that the health of the River is improving.
May 15, 2025
Several endangered Atlantic Sturgeon have been found dead in the Delaware River in a very short span of time.
The Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum, speaks with fisheries experts Dr. Dewayne Fox and Dr. Edward Hale in an exclusive interview about their experience finding these sturgeon and its significance for the Delaware River.
April 1, 2025
EPA Announces Intent to Finalize Upgraded Water Quality Standards to Protect Endangered Sturgeon & Other Aquatic Life of the Delaware River & Estuary
Philadelphia, PA – Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will “finalize a rule revising outdated water quality standards for 38 miles of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington” and that the final rule will “prioritize clean water to support aquatic life and benefit those living, working and recreating in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”
October 24, 2024
Environmental Organizations Bring Lawsuit Against Three States For Endangered Species Act Violation That Imperils Iconic Atlantic Sturgeon
NY, NJ, DE – Today, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network and Riverkeeper filed Endangered Species Act (ESA) lawsuits to force the states of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware to address the illegal capture and killing of endangered Atlantic Sturgeon by commercial fishing operations. The three states’ failure to address bycatch has left the Atlantic Sturgeon in perilous straits, teetering on the edge of extinction. This suit by Delaware Riverkeeper Network and Riverkeeper is a fight to bring them back.
Read the full press release here.
Watch the live press conference here:
October 3, 2024
Delaware Riverkeeper Network Files Lawsuit Against US EPA:
Claims Agency’s Delayed Release of Water Quality Standards Essential for Protecting Endangered Sturgeon & Other Aquatic Life Violates the Clean Water Act
Philadelphia, PA – Last night, October 2nd, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its failure to finalize dissolved oxygen standards essential for protecting the Delaware River’s endangered population of Atlantic Sturgeon and other aquatic life. The lawsuit was filed after the government was given a 60-day notice of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s intent to file the suit if action was not taken to resolve the legal violation.
August 2, 2024
Delaware Riverkeeper Network Sends EPA Notice of Intent to Sue for Violation of the Clean Water Act in Delayed Release of Final Water Quality Standards for Protecting Aquatic Life in the Delaware Estuary
Philadelphia, PA – Today, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network sent the US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator (EPA) a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue to require EPA to finalize its proposed rule revising the dissolved oxygen Water Quality Standards for the Delaware River. On December 21, 2023, EPA published its proposed rule to establish federal Water Quality Standards for specific zones of the Delaware River. The Clean Water Act requires EPA to promulgate the final Water Quality Standard within 90 days of publishing the proposed standard. While EPA appeared on track to promulgate the scientifically-based dissolved oxygen standards in a timely manner, publication of final standards were expected in early May of 2024, this deadline has long passed. EPA is in violation of its Clean Water Act responsibilities, and has been for several months.
July 18, 2024
Environmental Organizations Join to Notify 3 State of Intent to Sue for the Illegal Killing of Endangered Atlantic Sturgeon
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network and the Hudson Riverkeeper have joined forces to submit notices of intent to sue for the illegal killing of Atlantic sturgeon to three states: New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. According to the 60-day notices, which are required by federal law before the organization can actually file their litigation, Atlantic sturgeon are being killed in high and unaccounted for numbers without required permitting or approval pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.
Donate
For over a decade, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network has defended the genetically unique population of Atlantic Sturgeon found only in the Delaware River. We have advocated for the designation of the Delaware River population of Atlantic Sturgeon as endangered, have brought multiple legal actions to ensure that federal and state agencies uphold their obligations to protect this prehistoric species, and have led public awareness campaigns to spread the word about the Sturgeons’ plight.
Your generous support allows us to continue this critical work to SAVE OUR STURGEON! Please consider donating today so future generations can see Sturgeon in our River tomorrow.
Background
The Delaware River is home to two species – the Shortnose Sturgeon and the Atlantic Sturgeon. The Shortnose Sturgeon has a stable population. But the Atlantic Sturgeon are a genetically distinct haplotype unique to the Delaware River, and they are close to extinction. Where National Marine Fisheries Service once estimated there were 180,000 spawning females of the genetically unique population, there are now less than 250 spawning adults. To learn the full history of the Delaware River Atlantic Sturgeon and our advocacy efforts, click HERE.
USFWS
What is Decimating our Sturgeon?
Ship Strikes
Agencies have been and are still trying to permit bigger and bigger ships to come through the Delaware River. These ships have large propellers that cut and mortally wound the Sturgeon. The bows of these ships also hit the Sturgeon causing fatal injury.
Habitat Degradation
In order to allow those large ships to come into the river, dredging of the river bottom occurs to make the river deeper. The Sturgeon are a sensitive animal. The silt and clay that gets unearthed during dredging operations coats the river bottom, making it an unsuitable spawning ground for Sturgeon. Dredging also leads to saltwater intrusion, where saltier water is incidentally introduced to freshwater systems, thus diminishing the amount of viable freshwater habitat the Sturgeon need to survive. Other habitat threats include rock blasting, intake of water for cooling of energy systems, and introduction of excess nutrients to the river via stormwater runoff.
Low Dissolved Oxygen
Our Sturgeon, just like us, need oxygen to survive and thrive. The current regulations and policies have allowed the dissolved oxygen the Sturgeon need to fall to critically low levels for the last 50 years. Science shows the Sturgeon needs between 6.5 and 7 mg/L of dissolved oxygen to not just survive but be able to reproduce. While current regulations have allowed dissolved oxygen to be as low as 3.5 mg/L. Poor regulations and laws have led to pollution that causes excess nutrients in the waterways, which creates low-oxygenated or even dead zones in the River.
PLEASE CONTACT
Report stranded, injured, or dead Sturgeon to
NOAA Fisheries
(978) 281-9328
noaa.sturg911@noaa.gov
or
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network
1-800-8-DELAWARE
Dino in the Delaware is a campaign by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is an environmental nonprofit organization that works throughout the entire Delaware River Watershed, including including parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York — and at the federal level on issues, actions, regulations, legislation, policies, programs and decisions that impact the health of our Delaware River Watershed waterways and our ability to protect and restore them for the benefit of all.
Visit the Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Connect with us
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
925 Canal Street
7th Floor Suite 3701
Bristol, PA 19007