The headwaters of both the Delaware River and the Susquehanna River are in New York, but the majority of the area covered by these river basins is in other states. The Susquehanna River travels through New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland before emptying into Chesapeake Bay. The Delaware River travels through New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Delaware before it empties into Delaware Bay. Withdrawals from these river basins are
governed not by state environmental agencies, but by multi-state regulatory agencies -- the Susquehanna
River Basin Commission (SRBC) and the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). These commissions govern water withdrawal from their respective river basins in all of the states. This regulatory structure is designed to treat river basins as entire geological and ecological systems, rather than being fragmented by political boundaries. It also allows
a single agency to collect flow data at all points in the basin, ensuring that they have adequate knowledge
to regulate withdrawals in such a way as to guarantee enough flow in the more fragile headwaters as well
as downstream, where the cumulative impacts of upstream withdrawals can have serious effects on flow.