Petty Island

After a long period of industrial blight Petty Island is recovering. The island is a New Jersey Natural Lands Trust project and is being remediated by Citgo, the previous owner. Most recently, it had oil storage tanks and was the site of a large container barge operation. The oil tanks and containers are gone, but the steel framework that allowed containers to be rolled on and off the barge still stands, possibly to become the framework of a building housing a nature center. There is a bridge to the island, so it will be easily accessed when it does open to the public.

The city of Camden and the state of New Jersey are working towards creating a park surrounding the back channel on the island’s east side. This will create an aquatic courtyard for the cities of Camden and Philadelphia. As nature takes over the former industrial sites, it is easy to envision the potential of such a park. Already the eagles, herons, and egrets have returned. The cormorants never left. There are now enough fish in the water to support these avian fishers.

The shipping channel follows the west bank of the Delaware River, so the paddler is well away from commercial traffic. On this side of the island, the new development on the Philadelphia shore is mixed with industrial ruins and vegetation. Petty Island is a testament to nature’s resilience, a message of hope as we attempt to rescue more and more of the Delaware River’s natural environment.

June, 2023