Kilgour Farms
I took the one less traveled by
DELAWARE</ST1 RIVER BASIN
18 CFR Part 410
Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Water Code Relating to a <FONT face="Courier New">Flexible Flow Management Plan for Operation of the <ST1<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
<font face=" /><st1:City w:st="on">New York City </st1:City><st1laceName w:st="on"><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Delaware</st1laceName> <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>AGENCY: <ST1<st1laceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">River Basin</st1laceType></ST1 Commission.<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><O</O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>---------------------------------------------
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>SUMMARY: The Commission will hold a public hearing and accept written <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>comment on a proposal to amend the agency's Comprehensive Plan and <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Water Code to establish a Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) for <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the <st1laceName w:st="on">New York City</st1laceName> <st1laceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Basin</st1laceType> Reservoirs <st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State></ST1
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Reservoirs'') for multiple objectives, including, among others, water <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>supply and drought mitigation; management of the reservoir tailwater <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>fisheries and other habitat needs, and spill mitigation. The current <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>reservoir releases program, which was established by Resolution No. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>2004-3 in April of 2004, will expire on May 31, 2007. The current spill <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>mitigation program, established by Resolution No. 2006-18, also will <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>expire on May 31, 2007. The Commission will also accept comment on <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>alternative reservoir management strategies that may be adopted in the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>event that consensus on the proposed FFMP is not reached.<FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>alternative reservoir releases options to be considered are: extending <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the current reservoir releases program or reinstating a previous <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>reservoir releases program plan. Either option would be considered in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>combination with a seasonal spill mitigation program or an annual spill <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>mitigation program for the three reservoirs. The releases program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>adopted in the event consensus is not reached on the FFMP would <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>continue in effect until any expiration date contained in the program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>adopted or unless and until replaced by another program that has been a<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>pproved by the Commission following a notice and comment rulemaking <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>process. In accordance with Section 3.3 of the <ST1<st1laceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">River Basin </st1laceType><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Compact, any program affecting the diversions, compensating releases, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>rights, conditions, and obligations of the 1954 Supreme Court Decree in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the matter of <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:State></ST1lace v. <st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State>, 347 <ST1<st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></ST1 995, 74 S. Ct. 842 also <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>requires the unanimous consent of the decree parties, which include the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>states of <st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:State> and <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State></ST1lace, the Commonwealth of <st1:State w:st="on"><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Pennsylvania</st1:State>, and the City of <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">New York</st1:City></ST1
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>DATES: Two public hearings on the proposal will be conducted at 2:30 <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>p.m. and 6:30 p.m. respectively on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at the <ST1Lake <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Wallenpaupack Environmental <st1laceName w:st="on">Learning</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Center</st1laceType> in <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">Hawley</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">PA.</st1:State></ST1 Written <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>comments will be accepted through April 6, 2007. To allow sufficient <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>time for consideration of written comments, comments must be received, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>not merely postmarked, by that date. In addition, three informational <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>meetings will be held on the proposal. The first will take place during <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the morning conference session of the Commission's regularly scheduled <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>meeting on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at the DRBC office building in <st1:City w:st="on"><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>West Trenton</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NJ</st1:State>. The second will take place during a meeting of the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Commission's Regulated Flow Advisory Committee (RFAC), which will take <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at the Commission's office <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>building in <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">West Trenton</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NJ</st1:State>. The third informational meeting will take <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>place at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, immediately prior to the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>first public hearing on the proposal, scheduled for that date at the <st1laceType w:st="on"><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Lake</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Wallenpaupack</st1laceName> Environmental <st1laceName w:st="on">Learning</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Center</st1laceType> in <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">Hawley</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">PA.</st1:State></ST1
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>ADDRESSES: Directions to the <ST1<st1laceType w:st="on">Lake</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Wallenpaupack</st1laceName></ST1 Environmental Learning <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Center are available at <FONT color=black>http://www.pplweb.com/lake+wallenpaupack/<FONT color=black> <O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>contacts+and+directions/get+directions.htm and will be posted on the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>DRBC Website, <FONT color=#0000ff><FONT color=black>[URL="http://www.drbc.net,by/"]http://www.drbc.net<FONT color=black>,<FONT color=black>by[/URL] February 20, 2007. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Written comments must include the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>name, address and affiliation of the commenter. Comments may be <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>submitted by e-mail to by U.S. Mail to: <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission Secretary, DRBC, <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on">P.O. Box 7360, West</st1:Street> <st1:City w:st="on">Trenton</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NJ</st1:State> <st1ostalCode w:st="on">08628-0360</st1ostalCode></st1:address>; <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>and by fax to Attn: Commission Secretary at 609-883-9522. In all cases, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the subject line, ``Comment on Flexible Flow Management Plan for City <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Delaware Reservoirs'' should be included.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT color=black><FONT color=black><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The text of the proposed FFMP in its <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>entirety will be posted on the Web site of the <ST1<st1laceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">River Basin </st1laceType><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission, on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 and will <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>remain posted through May 9, 2007. Please contact Pamela M. Bush, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Esquire, Commission Secretary and Asst. General Counsel at 609-883-9500 <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>ext. 203 with questions about the proposed rule change or the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>rulemaking process.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background. The flow management objectives <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>considered by the Supreme Court Decree of 1954 were narrower than the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>diverse objectives that have emerged in the decades since. Today, the f<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>inite waters of the <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State>, and the limited storage available in the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>basin are being managed for multiple purposes, including among others <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>water supply and drought mitigation, flood mitigation, and habitat <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>protection in the tailwaters fishery, the mainstem and the estuary. In <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>accordance with the Delaware River Basin Compact, a statute <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>concurrently enacted in 1961 by the U.S. Government and the four basin <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>States <st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State> and <st1:State w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:State>--the <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">Delaware </st1:State><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>River Basin Commission may modify diversions, releases, rights, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>conditions and obligations established by the decree, provided that the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>decree parties unanimously consent to such modifications. The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission and decree parties have made use of this authority to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>provide flexibility to respond to fluctuating hydrologic conditions and <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>evolving priorities throughout the Commission's history. In 1983, in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>accordance with an agreement among the parties known as the ``Good <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Faith Agreement,'' a reservoir release regime was established on a <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>permanent basis to supplement the provisions of the decree for the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>limited purpose of protecting and enhancing the tailwaters fishery. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Since the adoption of this regime in the form of a docket (similar to a <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>permit) issued to the New York State Department of Environmental <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Conservation--Docket D-77-20 CP (Revised)the ``fishery management <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>program'' as the plan is sometimes called, has been modified repeatedly <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>by the Commission with the unanimous consent of the decree parties. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Resolution No. 2004-3, approving Docket D-77-20 CP (Revision 7), <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>established the three-year interim program that is set to expire on May <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>31, 2007. A series of temporary spill mitigation programs also have <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>been etablished, the latest in the form of Docket D-77-20 CP (Revision <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>9), approved by DRBC Resolution No. 2006-18 in September 2006. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Unlike the experimental programs instituted by the Commission in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>past, the FFMP is intended to provide a comprehensive framework for <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>addressing multiple flow management objectives, including, in addition <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>to water supply, drought mitigation and protection of the tailwaters <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>fishery, a diverse array of habitat protection needs in the mainstem, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>estuary and bay, flood mitigation, recreational goals and salinity <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>repulsion. Some of the flow needs identified by the parties have not <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>yet been defined sufficiently for the development of detailed plans. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>These include protection of the dwarf wedgemussel, a Federal and State-<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>listed endangered species present in the mainstem, oyster production in <FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Delaware Bay, and protection of warm-water and migratory fisheries in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the lower basin. Incremental and periodic adjustments are expected to <O<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>based upon ongoing monitoring, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>scientific investigation, and periodic re-evaluation of program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>elements.<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>A central feature of the reservoir release programs implemented to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>date for management of the tailwaters fishery has been the use of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>reservoir storage ``banks'' to be used for narrowly defined purposes <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>under specific hydrologic and temperature conditions and at specified <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>times of the year. These are applied in conjunction with a set of fixed <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>seasonal flow targets. The system requires complex daily flow and <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>temperature modeling as a component of determining the releases, and as <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>a result, the program is difficult and costly to administer. The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>current approach also lacks the seasonal fluctuations characteristic of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>a natural flow regime. The FFMP would largely eliminate the use of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>banks and would base releases instead on reservoir storage levels, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>resulting in larger releases when water is abundant and smaller <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>releases when storage is at or below normal. The result would more <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>closely approximate a natural flow regime. In addition, the FFMP would <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>provide for more gradual transitions (or ``ramping'') from higher to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>lower releases and vice versa than the current regime. The FFMP would <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>include a spill mitigation component similar to but potentially more <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>aggressive than the temporary programs implemented in the past. The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>storage represented by snowpack water content would continue to be <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>considered.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Hydrologic modeling and habitat assessments are being undertaken to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>evaluate the sustainable benefits of the FFMP for the tailwaters <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>fishery and for spill mitigation. In addition, an evaluation is being <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>made of the potential benefits and costs of increasing storage in one <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>or more of the City Delaware Reservoirs that may improve the capacity <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>of the system to meet the full range of flow objectives. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>If consensus among the decree parties and DRBC commissioners cannot <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>be reached on details of the FFMP in time to approve and initiate <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>implementation of the plan by June 1, 2007, the parties intend to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>continue to work at refining and improving the FFMP until such a <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>consensus can be reached. The Commission will conduct a separate notice <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>and comment rulemaking process on the proposed program at that time. <O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Under such circumstances, for an interim period, the parties will <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>consider extending the current fisheries management program or <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>reinstating a previous regime. In either case, the releases program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>will be considered in combination with a spill mitigation plan.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>The proposed FFMP in its entirety will be posted on the Web site of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the Delaware River Basin Commission, on Tuesday, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>February 20, 2007.<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>Dated: February 5, 2007.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Pamela M. Bush,<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission Secretary.<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>[FR Doc. E7-2169 Filed 2-9-07; 8:45 am]<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT color=#0000ff>
18 CFR Part 410
Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Water Code Relating to a <FONT face="Courier New">Flexible Flow Management Plan for Operation of the <ST1<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><O</O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>---------------------------------------------
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>SUMMARY: The Commission will hold a public hearing and accept written <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>comment on a proposal to amend the agency's Comprehensive Plan and <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Water Code to establish a Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) for <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the <st1laceName w:st="on">New York City</st1laceName> <st1laceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Basin</st1laceType> Reservoirs <st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State></ST1
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Reservoirs'') for multiple objectives, including, among others, water <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>supply and drought mitigation; management of the reservoir tailwater <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>fisheries and other habitat needs, and spill mitigation. The current <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>reservoir releases program, which was established by Resolution No. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>2004-3 in April of 2004, will expire on May 31, 2007. The current spill <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>mitigation program, established by Resolution No. 2006-18, also will <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>expire on May 31, 2007. The Commission will also accept comment on <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>alternative reservoir management strategies that may be adopted in the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>event that consensus on the proposed FFMP is not reached.<FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>alternative reservoir releases options to be considered are: extending <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the current reservoir releases program or reinstating a previous <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>reservoir releases program plan. Either option would be considered in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>combination with a seasonal spill mitigation program or an annual spill <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>mitigation program for the three reservoirs. The releases program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>adopted in the event consensus is not reached on the FFMP would <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>continue in effect until any expiration date contained in the program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>adopted or unless and until replaced by another program that has been a<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>pproved by the Commission following a notice and comment rulemaking <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>process. In accordance with Section 3.3 of the <ST1<st1laceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">River Basin </st1laceType><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Compact, any program affecting the diversions, compensating releases, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>rights, conditions, and obligations of the 1954 Supreme Court Decree in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the matter of <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:State></ST1lace v. <st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State>, 347 <ST1<st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></ST1 995, 74 S. Ct. 842 also <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>requires the unanimous consent of the decree parties, which include the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>states of <st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:State> and <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State></ST1lace, the Commonwealth of <st1:State w:st="on"><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Pennsylvania</st1:State>, and the City of <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">New York</st1:City></ST1
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>DATES: Two public hearings on the proposal will be conducted at 2:30 <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>p.m. and 6:30 p.m. respectively on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at the <ST1Lake <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Wallenpaupack Environmental <st1laceName w:st="on">Learning</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Center</st1laceType> in <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">Hawley</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">PA.</st1:State></ST1 Written <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>comments will be accepted through April 6, 2007. To allow sufficient <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>time for consideration of written comments, comments must be received, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>not merely postmarked, by that date. In addition, three informational <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>meetings will be held on the proposal. The first will take place during <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>the morning conference session of the Commission's regularly scheduled <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>meeting on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at the DRBC office building in <st1:City w:st="on"><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>West Trenton</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NJ</st1:State>. The second will take place during a meeting of the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Commission's Regulated Flow Advisory Committee (RFAC), which will take <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at the Commission's office <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>building in <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">West Trenton</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NJ</st1:State>. The third informational meeting will take <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>place at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, immediately prior to the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>first public hearing on the proposal, scheduled for that date at the <st1laceType w:st="on"><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>Lake</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Wallenpaupack</st1laceName> Environmental <st1laceName w:st="on">Learning</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Center</st1laceType> in <ST1<st1:City w:st="on">Hawley</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">PA.</st1:State></ST1
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>ADDRESSES: Directions to the <ST1<st1laceType w:st="on">Lake</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Wallenpaupack</st1laceName></ST1 Environmental Learning <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Center are available at <FONT color=black>http://www.pplweb.com/lake+wallenpaupack/<FONT color=black> <O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>contacts+and+directions/get+directions.htm and will be posted on the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>DRBC Website, <FONT color=#0000ff><FONT color=black>[URL="http://www.drbc.net,by/"]http://www.drbc.net<FONT color=black>,<FONT color=black>by[/URL] February 20, 2007. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Written comments must include the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>name, address and affiliation of the commenter. Comments may be <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>submitted by e-mail to by U.S. Mail to: <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission Secretary, DRBC, <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on">P.O. Box 7360, West</st1:Street> <st1:City w:st="on">Trenton</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NJ</st1:State> <st1ostalCode w:st="on">08628-0360</st1ostalCode></st1:address>; <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>and by fax to Attn: Commission Secretary at 609-883-9522. In all cases, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the subject line, ``Comment on Flexible Flow Management Plan for City <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Delaware Reservoirs'' should be included.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT color=black><FONT color=black><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The text of the proposed FFMP in its <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>entirety will be posted on the Web site of the <ST1<st1laceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">River Basin </st1laceType><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission, on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 and will <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>remain posted through May 9, 2007. Please contact Pamela M. Bush, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Esquire, Commission Secretary and Asst. General Counsel at 609-883-9500 <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>ext. 203 with questions about the proposed rule change or the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>rulemaking process.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background. The flow management objectives <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>considered by the Supreme Court Decree of 1954 were narrower than the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>diverse objectives that have emerged in the decades since. Today, the f<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>inite waters of the <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State>, and the limited storage available in the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>basin are being managed for multiple purposes, including among others <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>water supply and drought mitigation, flood mitigation, and habitat <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>protection in the tailwaters fishery, the mainstem and the estuary. In <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>accordance with the Delaware River Basin Compact, a statute <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>concurrently enacted in 1961 by the U.S. Government and the four basin <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>States <st1:State w:st="on">Delaware</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State> and <st1:State w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:State>--the <ST1<st1:State w:st="on">Delaware </st1:State><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>River Basin Commission may modify diversions, releases, rights, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>conditions and obligations established by the decree, provided that the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>decree parties unanimously consent to such modifications. The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission and decree parties have made use of this authority to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>provide flexibility to respond to fluctuating hydrologic conditions and <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>evolving priorities throughout the Commission's history. In 1983, in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>accordance with an agreement among the parties known as the ``Good <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Faith Agreement,'' a reservoir release regime was established on a <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>permanent basis to supplement the provisions of the decree for the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>limited purpose of protecting and enhancing the tailwaters fishery. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Since the adoption of this regime in the form of a docket (similar to a <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>permit) issued to the New York State Department of Environmental <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Conservation--Docket D-77-20 CP (Revised)the ``fishery management <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>program'' as the plan is sometimes called, has been modified repeatedly <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>by the Commission with the unanimous consent of the decree parties. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Resolution No. 2004-3, approving Docket D-77-20 CP (Revision 7), <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>established the three-year interim program that is set to expire on May <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>31, 2007. A series of temporary spill mitigation programs also have <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>been etablished, the latest in the form of Docket D-77-20 CP (Revision <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>9), approved by DRBC Resolution No. 2006-18 in September 2006. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Unlike the experimental programs instituted by the Commission in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>past, the FFMP is intended to provide a comprehensive framework for <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>addressing multiple flow management objectives, including, in addition <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>to water supply, drought mitigation and protection of the tailwaters <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>fishery, a diverse array of habitat protection needs in the mainstem, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>estuary and bay, flood mitigation, recreational goals and salinity <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>repulsion. Some of the flow needs identified by the parties have not <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>yet been defined sufficiently for the development of detailed plans. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>These include protection of the dwarf wedgemussel, a Federal and State-<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>listed endangered species present in the mainstem, oyster production in <FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Delaware Bay, and protection of warm-water and migratory fisheries in <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the lower basin. Incremental and periodic adjustments are expected to <O<FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>based upon ongoing monitoring, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>scientific investigation, and periodic re-evaluation of program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>elements.<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>A central feature of the reservoir release programs implemented to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>date for management of the tailwaters fishery has been the use of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>reservoir storage ``banks'' to be used for narrowly defined purposes <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>under specific hydrologic and temperature conditions and at specified <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>times of the year. These are applied in conjunction with a set of fixed <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>seasonal flow targets. The system requires complex daily flow and <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>temperature modeling as a component of determining the releases, and as <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>a result, the program is difficult and costly to administer. The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>current approach also lacks the seasonal fluctuations characteristic of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>a natural flow regime. The FFMP would largely eliminate the use of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>banks and would base releases instead on reservoir storage levels, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>resulting in larger releases when water is abundant and smaller <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>releases when storage is at or below normal. The result would more <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>closely approximate a natural flow regime. In addition, the FFMP would <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>provide for more gradual transitions (or ``ramping'') from higher to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>lower releases and vice versa than the current regime. The FFMP would <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>include a spill mitigation component similar to but potentially more <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>aggressive than the temporary programs implemented in the past. The <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>storage represented by snowpack water content would continue to be <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>considered.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Hydrologic modeling and habitat assessments are being undertaken to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>evaluate the sustainable benefits of the FFMP for the tailwaters <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>fishery and for spill mitigation. In addition, an evaluation is being <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>made of the potential benefits and costs of increasing storage in one <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>or more of the City Delaware Reservoirs that may improve the capacity <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>of the system to meet the full range of flow objectives. <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>If consensus among the decree parties and DRBC commissioners cannot <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>be reached on details of the FFMP in time to approve and initiate <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>implementation of the plan by June 1, 2007, the parties intend to <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>continue to work at refining and improving the FFMP until such a <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>consensus can be reached. The Commission will conduct a separate notice <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>and comment rulemaking process on the proposed program at that time. <O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Under such circumstances, for an interim period, the parties will <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>consider extending the current fisheries management program or <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>reinstating a previous regime. In either case, the releases program <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>will be considered in combination with a spill mitigation plan.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>The proposed FFMP in its entirety will be posted on the Web site of <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>the Delaware River Basin Commission, on Tuesday, <FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>February 20, 2007.<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>Dated: February 5, 2007.
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Pamela M. Bush,<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT size=2><FONT color=black>Commission Secretary.<O
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>
<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT face="Courier New"><FONT color=black size=2>[FR Doc. E7-2169 Filed 2-9-07; 8:45 am]<FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT color=#0000ff>
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