The final project of DRBC's 2015 monitoring season involved commission staff collaborating with staff from the Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to do ambient water toxicity testing in several Christina Basin waterways, including the Christina River and the Brandywine, Red Clay, and Shellpot creeks.

The monitoring was done as part of DNREC's Watershed Approach to Toxics Assessment and Restoration (WATAR), which is a watershed-scale approach to compile, assess, and access toxics data in Delaware's waterways by sampling water, fish tissue, and sediment. This effort will provide a greater understanding of the status, trends, and sources of toxics, establish a baseline of water quality, and identify toxic hotspots to target for remediation and restoration.

Samples collected are being analyzed for toxic substances that include PCBs, mercury, and some organic compounds. Monitoring toxicity in the basin's estuarine waters is an essential component of DRBC's water quality programs, and helping DNREC with their WATAR assessment is a great example of how the commission partners with its basin states to help protect water resources.