Big_Spinner
Trout Hunter
Hi guys,
The meeting after the meeting was very productive at West Branch angler on Tuesday. They seem to have reached agreement on a short term flood mitigation plan.
My only concern is that it needs to take into consideration the rivers below the dams. Hopefully they have considered the more sustained releases over a longer period of time and not just a quick dump, just before the reseroirs are going to spill.
We will certainly stay on top of this. Details to follow.
Jim
FYI – From the 9/20/2006 Philadelphia Inquirer/Associated Press.
Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006
Officials working on reservoir reduction plan to lessen flooding
WILLIAM KATES
Associated Press
DEPOSIT, N.Y. - New York City officials said Tuesday they were optimistic they will soon have a short-term management plan to reduce the amount of water the city stores in its three Delaware River reservoirs in the Catskills.
The measure has been sought by flood-stricken residents downriver in neighboring states.
A plan may be worked out by Sept. 27 and can be presented at the next meeting of the Delaware River Basin Commission, the multistate agency that manages water resources in the Delaware Basin, said Michael Principe, a former deputy commissioner and now senior adviser for the New York City Bureau of Water Supply.
"I heard people here looking for a year-round program. We'll take it up with our technical group ... but I just don't think we're going to be able to make everyone happy," Principe said at the conclusion of a public hearing held by the commission's Regulated Flow Advisory Committee, held at an angler's resort on the West Branch of the Delaware.
"We've pretty much agreed that conceptually, this is the way we need to go. We need to work out the details," said William Gast, the committee's chairman.
Historically, New York has kept its reservoirs as full as possible to guard against drought. Built in the 1950s and '60s to supply drinking water to the city and suburbs, the Neversink, Pepacton and Cannonsville reservoirs are located in the Catskills, at the headwaters of the Delaware River. Together, they supply water to about 9 million people.
However, the reservoirs were at near 100 percent capacity during the devastating floods that occurred in September 2004, April 2005 and June of this year. Unable to store water from torrential rains, the reservoirs spilled, sending billions of gallons cascading down the Delaware and into homes and businesses in September 2004, April 2005 and June 2006.
Residents and experts believe that had the reservoirs not been so full, they could have stored some of that water and reduced the severity of the flooding downriver.
About 50 people attended the 2 1/2 hour hearing, which also focused on developing a new, long-range multi-objective reservoir management program as well as immediate flood mitigation. Most of the attendees were local elected leaders and residents.
The commission is considering a dramatic change in its management approach, shifting away from a system based on target levels to one that relies on a seasonally fixed release schedule, said Robert Tudor, deputy executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission. The agency manages the river on behalf of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and the federal government.
Any flood reduction plan also needs to protect the city's water supply and have a negligible impact on the river's fishery.
During the meeting engineer Paul Rush said the city's Department of Environmental Protection was considering options that included lowering capacity by 5 percent or more, but not during the months of April, May and June. He noted the DEP started a "spill reduction" program two years ago that lowers the reservoirs during winter to accept snow melt.
"We need to be at 100 percent capacity by June 1 so we can meet summer demand," he said.
Peder Hansen, a Deposit resident, questioned the effectiveness of such a proposal, noting that it would not have provided any relief in two of the last three floods.
David Jones said he sustained more than $1 million in damages to his canoe sales and rental business. He said he had heard enough discussion of the problem.
"What happened to common sense. You can't wait for another flood. We lucked out with the last storm. It's still hurricane season. Something needs to be done now," Jones said.
N E W S R E L E A S E COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Office of the Governor
Governor’s Press Office
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/21/2006
CONTACT:
Kate Philips
Phone: 717-783-1116
Kurt M. Knaus, DEP
Phone: 717-787-1323
GOVERNOR RENDELL ANNOUNCES INTERIM PLAN TO LOWER NYC RESERVOIRS
Basin States to Share $500,000 Cost of Flood Mitigation Study for Delaware River
HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced an interim spill mitigation program for managing releases from New York City’s reservoirs, with the four states along the Delaware River agreeing to share the cost of a $500,000 study to examine the effects of operational changes at major reservoirs throughout the entire basin.
A task force also will be established by the states through the Delaware River Basin Commission to examine broader flood mitigation issues along the 330-mile river and its 216 tributaries.
"These reservoirs are just one piece of a very large and complex flood protection plan for the basin as a whole," Governor Rendell said. "Lowering reservoir levels is by no means a silver bullet for addressing flooding along the Delaware River, but it may provide an added measure of protection for downstream communities until a more comprehensive program can be developed and adopted."
Under the spill mitigation program, New York City will increase releases to the Delaware River from its Neversink, Pepacton and Cannonsville reservoirs between July 1 and March 31, during periods of above-normal hydrologic conditions. The plan provides for greater reserve capacity in the reservoirs during the Atlantic hurricane season.
With a storage void the reservoirs can capture more runoff in the upper reaches of the Delaware River. The spill reduction will not eliminate flooding – the New York City reservoirs control only about one-fifth of the watershed – but flood crests may be reduced immediately below the reservoirs. The plan likely will have little flood mitigation effect farther downstream in Pennsylvania, especially after periods of heavy rains.
Operations under the interim spill mitigation program, which still requires formal approval by the parties to the 1954 Supreme Court Decree as well as adoption by the DRBC, will be in effect through March 31. DRBC will vote on adoption of the plan Sept. 27. The spill mitigation program is moving forward simultaneously with development of a comprehensive flood mitigation plan.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York each will contribute $150,000 toward a study that more broadly and thoroughly examines the potential effects of managing reservoirs throughout the basin to reduce flooding on the Delaware River and its tributaries. Delaware will provide $50,000.
The Delaware River has flooded three times in two years – September 2004, April 2005 and June 2006 – after a period of nearly 50 years without any widespread main stem flooding.
More than a dozen other reservoirs in the basin, built for purposes other than flood control, may offer opportunities to provide limited additional flood mitigation. A new model is needed to understand what flood mitigation benefits may be derived from altering the operations at those reservoirs.
In addition to addressing reservoir operations, the states will form a task force through the DRBC to look at stormwater management, land-use patterns, open space and farmland preservation, floodplain regulations, and other potential non-structural flood mitigation measures in the basin, which is home to nearly 7.8 million residents, including 5.2 million Pennsylvanians.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York are affected the most by Delaware River flooding. All four states also have a stake in ensuring adequate water supplies to New York City, and maintaining adequate flows downstream to protect fisheries and other in-stream uses and water supplies in Trenton and Philadelphia. Delaware’s contribution reflects its concern about how the added freshwater flow from increased reservoir releases may affect the Delaware Bay.
All four states are members of the Delaware River Basin Commission, which was created in 1961 as a regional body to manage the river system for multiple purposes, including water supply, pollution control, flood control, watershed management, fish and wildlife management, recreation, power generation and water allocation. These states and New York City also are among those subject to the 1954 Supreme Court decree.
The 330-mile Delaware River is the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi, running from Hancock, N.Y., to the mouth of the Delaware Bay where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Fifteen million people draw water from the Delaware River and its 216 tributaries.
For more information on flood-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s Web site at PA Department of Environmental Protection, Keyword: “Flood/Flood Recovery.”
###
The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: Edward G. Rendell, Governor.
The meeting after the meeting was very productive at West Branch angler on Tuesday. They seem to have reached agreement on a short term flood mitigation plan.
My only concern is that it needs to take into consideration the rivers below the dams. Hopefully they have considered the more sustained releases over a longer period of time and not just a quick dump, just before the reseroirs are going to spill.
We will certainly stay on top of this. Details to follow.
Jim
FYI – From the 9/20/2006 Philadelphia Inquirer/Associated Press.
Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006
Officials working on reservoir reduction plan to lessen flooding
WILLIAM KATES
Associated Press
DEPOSIT, N.Y. - New York City officials said Tuesday they were optimistic they will soon have a short-term management plan to reduce the amount of water the city stores in its three Delaware River reservoirs in the Catskills.
The measure has been sought by flood-stricken residents downriver in neighboring states.
A plan may be worked out by Sept. 27 and can be presented at the next meeting of the Delaware River Basin Commission, the multistate agency that manages water resources in the Delaware Basin, said Michael Principe, a former deputy commissioner and now senior adviser for the New York City Bureau of Water Supply.
"I heard people here looking for a year-round program. We'll take it up with our technical group ... but I just don't think we're going to be able to make everyone happy," Principe said at the conclusion of a public hearing held by the commission's Regulated Flow Advisory Committee, held at an angler's resort on the West Branch of the Delaware.
"We've pretty much agreed that conceptually, this is the way we need to go. We need to work out the details," said William Gast, the committee's chairman.
Historically, New York has kept its reservoirs as full as possible to guard against drought. Built in the 1950s and '60s to supply drinking water to the city and suburbs, the Neversink, Pepacton and Cannonsville reservoirs are located in the Catskills, at the headwaters of the Delaware River. Together, they supply water to about 9 million people.
However, the reservoirs were at near 100 percent capacity during the devastating floods that occurred in September 2004, April 2005 and June of this year. Unable to store water from torrential rains, the reservoirs spilled, sending billions of gallons cascading down the Delaware and into homes and businesses in September 2004, April 2005 and June 2006.
Residents and experts believe that had the reservoirs not been so full, they could have stored some of that water and reduced the severity of the flooding downriver.
About 50 people attended the 2 1/2 hour hearing, which also focused on developing a new, long-range multi-objective reservoir management program as well as immediate flood mitigation. Most of the attendees were local elected leaders and residents.
The commission is considering a dramatic change in its management approach, shifting away from a system based on target levels to one that relies on a seasonally fixed release schedule, said Robert Tudor, deputy executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission. The agency manages the river on behalf of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and the federal government.
Any flood reduction plan also needs to protect the city's water supply and have a negligible impact on the river's fishery.
During the meeting engineer Paul Rush said the city's Department of Environmental Protection was considering options that included lowering capacity by 5 percent or more, but not during the months of April, May and June. He noted the DEP started a "spill reduction" program two years ago that lowers the reservoirs during winter to accept snow melt.
"We need to be at 100 percent capacity by June 1 so we can meet summer demand," he said.
Peder Hansen, a Deposit resident, questioned the effectiveness of such a proposal, noting that it would not have provided any relief in two of the last three floods.
David Jones said he sustained more than $1 million in damages to his canoe sales and rental business. He said he had heard enough discussion of the problem.
"What happened to common sense. You can't wait for another flood. We lucked out with the last storm. It's still hurricane season. Something needs to be done now," Jones said.
N E W S R E L E A S E COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Office of the Governor
Governor’s Press Office
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/21/2006
CONTACT:
Kate Philips
Phone: 717-783-1116
Kurt M. Knaus, DEP
Phone: 717-787-1323
GOVERNOR RENDELL ANNOUNCES INTERIM PLAN TO LOWER NYC RESERVOIRS
Basin States to Share $500,000 Cost of Flood Mitigation Study for Delaware River
HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced an interim spill mitigation program for managing releases from New York City’s reservoirs, with the four states along the Delaware River agreeing to share the cost of a $500,000 study to examine the effects of operational changes at major reservoirs throughout the entire basin.
A task force also will be established by the states through the Delaware River Basin Commission to examine broader flood mitigation issues along the 330-mile river and its 216 tributaries.
"These reservoirs are just one piece of a very large and complex flood protection plan for the basin as a whole," Governor Rendell said. "Lowering reservoir levels is by no means a silver bullet for addressing flooding along the Delaware River, but it may provide an added measure of protection for downstream communities until a more comprehensive program can be developed and adopted."
Under the spill mitigation program, New York City will increase releases to the Delaware River from its Neversink, Pepacton and Cannonsville reservoirs between July 1 and March 31, during periods of above-normal hydrologic conditions. The plan provides for greater reserve capacity in the reservoirs during the Atlantic hurricane season.
With a storage void the reservoirs can capture more runoff in the upper reaches of the Delaware River. The spill reduction will not eliminate flooding – the New York City reservoirs control only about one-fifth of the watershed – but flood crests may be reduced immediately below the reservoirs. The plan likely will have little flood mitigation effect farther downstream in Pennsylvania, especially after periods of heavy rains.
Operations under the interim spill mitigation program, which still requires formal approval by the parties to the 1954 Supreme Court Decree as well as adoption by the DRBC, will be in effect through March 31. DRBC will vote on adoption of the plan Sept. 27. The spill mitigation program is moving forward simultaneously with development of a comprehensive flood mitigation plan.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York each will contribute $150,000 toward a study that more broadly and thoroughly examines the potential effects of managing reservoirs throughout the basin to reduce flooding on the Delaware River and its tributaries. Delaware will provide $50,000.
The Delaware River has flooded three times in two years – September 2004, April 2005 and June 2006 – after a period of nearly 50 years without any widespread main stem flooding.
More than a dozen other reservoirs in the basin, built for purposes other than flood control, may offer opportunities to provide limited additional flood mitigation. A new model is needed to understand what flood mitigation benefits may be derived from altering the operations at those reservoirs.
In addition to addressing reservoir operations, the states will form a task force through the DRBC to look at stormwater management, land-use patterns, open space and farmland preservation, floodplain regulations, and other potential non-structural flood mitigation measures in the basin, which is home to nearly 7.8 million residents, including 5.2 million Pennsylvanians.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York are affected the most by Delaware River flooding. All four states also have a stake in ensuring adequate water supplies to New York City, and maintaining adequate flows downstream to protect fisheries and other in-stream uses and water supplies in Trenton and Philadelphia. Delaware’s contribution reflects its concern about how the added freshwater flow from increased reservoir releases may affect the Delaware Bay.
All four states are members of the Delaware River Basin Commission, which was created in 1961 as a regional body to manage the river system for multiple purposes, including water supply, pollution control, flood control, watershed management, fish and wildlife management, recreation, power generation and water allocation. These states and New York City also are among those subject to the 1954 Supreme Court decree.
The 330-mile Delaware River is the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi, running from Hancock, N.Y., to the mouth of the Delaware Bay where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Fifteen million people draw water from the Delaware River and its 216 tributaries.
For more information on flood-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s Web site at PA Department of Environmental Protection, Keyword: “Flood/Flood Recovery.”
###
The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: Edward G. Rendell, Governor.
