High water warning issued for Delaware River; life jackets required at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
DELAWARE WATER GAP NATIONAL RECREATION AREA — Visitors planning to recreate on the Delaware River are being urged to use caution as high water is expected over the next two days, prompting mandatory life jacket use within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
According to the National Park Service, the Delaware River is expected to reach 8 feet or higher at the Montague stream gage, activating a regulation requiring all people in and on the water within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
Park officials also warned that river access points will close if the Montague gage reaches 15 feet or higher.
The National Park Service is encouraging visitors to avoid river activities during periods of high water, noting that swollen river conditions reduce visibility and can conceal hazards beneath the surface.
“High water becomes opaque and can cover or hide strainers and dangerous obstacles,” the National Park Service said in its advisory.
Visitors are urged to exercise caution and follow the park’s safety message: “Stay safe. Stay afloat. Wear your life jacket!”
Current river conditions at the Montague gage can be monitored through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s online river gauge at water.noaa.gov/gauges/mtgn4.
