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12th Annual Delaware River Sojourn June 18-25, 2006

For Immediate Release

June 2, 2006

(WEST TRENTON, N.J.)  --  The 2006 Delaware River Sojourn, an annual event that combines canoeing, kayaking, camping, educational programs, and more, will be held June 18-25.

The purpose of the sojourn is to heighten awareness of, and appreciation for, the ecological, historical, recreational, and economic significance of the Delaware River, which flows through New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

The theme for this year's event is "A Long Drink of Water," which recognizes the Delaware River's vital role in supplying drinking water to millions of people, including two of America's largest cities -- New York City and Philadelphia.  The Delaware is the longest un-dammed river east of the Mississippi, stretching 330 miles from the confluence of its East and West branches in Hancock, N.Y. to the mouth of the Delaware Bay where it meets the Atlantic Ocean.  Nearly 15 million people (approximately five percent of the nation's population) rely on the waters of the Delaware River Basin for drinking and commercial use.

In addition to paddling almost 70 miles on the mainstem Delaware River, sojourners will have the opportunity to experience stretches of two tributaries -- the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania and the Cooper River in New Jersey.

Daily highlights include:

Sunday, June 18: Ten Mile River Access, Tusten (N.Y.) to Minisink Ford (N.Y.) (8 miles)

Monday, June 19: Minisink Ford to Knights Eddy (N.Y.) (12 miles)

Tuesday, June 20: Bushkill Access (Pa.) to Shawnee (Pa.) (13 miles)

Wednesday, June 21: Shawnee to Driftstone-on-Delaware (Pa.) (13 miles)

Thursday, June 22: Point Pleasant (Pa.) to Lambertville (N.J.) (9 miles)

Friday, June 23: Fireman's Eddy, Lambertville to Morrisville (Pa.) (13 miles)

Saturday, June 24: Schuylkill River in Philadelphia from Manayunk to Bartram's Garden (9 miles)

Sunday, June 25: Round trip on the Cooper River from Maria Barnaby Greenwald Memorial Park in Cherry Hill (N.J.) (10 miles)

The sojourn is suitable for people with varying paddling skills.  Sojourners may sign up for the entire eight-day trip or for the day(s) of their choice.  The $65 daily registration fee ($45 for non-paddling children age 12 and under riding in the parent's canoe) covers the guided river trip, canoe/kayak rental, shuttle transportation, educational programs, certain meals, a souvenir water bottle, and optional overnight camping sites.  In addition to the daily fee, a one-time $8 per person insurance fee applies to non-members of the American Canoe Association, which sanctions the event.  Participants may bring their own river-worthy boat, but aluminum canoes are not recommended.

Space is limited each day.  The registration deadline is June 9.  Registrations postmarked after June 9 will be accepted on a first-come basis with a $20 late fee added.  A limited number of scholarships are available for first-time paddlers and K-12 teachers.

Additional information, including registration materials and detailed daily plans, are available on the sojourn web site (hosted by the Delaware River Basin Commission) at www.delawareriversojourn.org.  Registration and scholarship-related questions may be directed to Mike Brubaker at the Pocono Environmental Education Center by phone (570-828-2319) or email (mikebru@peec.org).

The non-profit, annual event is organized by a steering committee representing various organizations and government agencies in the Delaware River Basin.  This year's committee is chaired by a representative from Pennsylvania's Delaware Canal State Park.

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Contact: Clarke Rupert, DRBC, 609-883-9500 ext. 260, clarke.rupert@drbc.state.nj.us

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