West Branch to start spilling on Tues or Wed

[NJFred]

Yup.. Saw the Stillesville gauge has crept up to 140CFS with a mere piss of a spill of roughly 50 CFS. It continues to head up but my guess is that we won't see much over the top for long. Jim indicates are pumping away much of what's coming in from above the dam as that gauge was at 700 or so CFS.

So wha't the difference between this year and last year???? Last year I recall they released lots of water over the winter and into the Spring... this year nada. Perhaps the difference this year was the late to fill system do to the cold February and maybe a low level going into the winter or did NYC get scared by watching too many Dos Equis Beer commercials?

 

[NJFred]

Frankly... in my opinion... an 80 CFS release on the WBD is a BIG issue regardless of temps particularly when water is available. Not much river bottom coverage for bugs above Oquaga inflow and habitat for fish.

 

[WBDluver]

All reservoirs need to be full by June 1 to avoid draught conditions to get through summer. This does not apply just to NYC. A reservoir filled to only 90% as of April 26 does not bode well for this coming summer. What may seem like a lot of water to us, does not mean it is when you are looking at supplying 11 million people with drinking water.

 

[flyI4]

Yup.. Saw the Stillesville gauge has crept up to 140CFS with a mere piss of a spill of roughly 50 CFS. It continues to head up but my guess is that we won't see much over the top for long. Jim indicates are pumping away much of what's coming in from above the dam as that gauge was at 700 or so CFS.

So wha't the difference between this year and last year???? Last year I recall they released lots of water over the winter and into the Spring... this year nada. Perhaps the difference this year was the late to fill system do to the cold February and maybe a low level going into the winter or did NYC get scared by watching too many Dos Equis Beer commercials?

Fred- my question exactly when it comes to the management of the reservoir this year versus last year when they let the dam rip at 1500 cfs in march despite far less snow pack than what we had this year. While I understand the flow plan fairly well, it seems that the way high water periods are anticipated,handled and managed varies for reasons I am not informed on.

 

[Big_Spinner]

Hi,

The first sunny day, the small amount of spill on the West Branch is going to skim off the warmest water in the reservoir and the river temps will rise rapidly. Not a good thing. NYC should be releasing more from the bottom to compensate for this problem.

Croton water coming on line will have a minimal effect on the Delaware system. There will be some flow through to help the overall picture slightly, not sure if it will even be measureable. Majority of Croton water would need to be pumped and helped with water quality and that costs money. NYC will attempt to balance the reservoirs for refill, but will take into account the extra cost f Croton water. I am not counting on Croton water until we are in or near drought conditions.

NYC continues to manipulate their calculations of available water in an ultra conservative way and no one is taking them to task about it. The city only releases there OST summary when they feel like it so there remains this unknown black box series of calculations. One of their conservative tactics is to under estimate inflow (rain) and over estimate their diversions. They estimate 15 bg of inflow in the next 7 days and then only 30 bg more for the following 35 days. A one inch thunderstorm puts about 18 bg of water into the reservoirs, especially true before the trees leaf out. NYC should be required to file an OST report on at least a weekly basis. Six weeks since the last one leaves too much room for black box calculations.

Jim

 

[NJFred]

OK so it's May 1. The way I read the plan we should have at least 200CFS (no FAW water) up to 475CFS release by Cannonsville (for some FAW). However as I type this, the release remains a piss in the ocean at below 100CFS. WTF. Someone please tell me what I'm missing here.

I suspect there maybe more than one irate one bugger dragging their boats down the west if that valve remains shut over the weekend. Let's hope they at least give us the crappy release promised by the plan.

 

[afishinado]

OK so it's May 1. The way I read the plan we should have at least 200CFS (no FAW water) up to 475CFS release by Cannonsville (for some FAW). However as I type this, the release remains a piss in the ocean at below 100CFS. WTF. Someone please tell me what I'm missing here.

I suspect there maybe more than one irate one bugger dragging their boats down the west if that valve remains shut over the weekend. Let's hope they at least give us the crappy release promised by the plan.

A really dry spring

AHPS Precipitation Analysis

Better to have low flows now and save water to run in July and August when temps are at their peak. Hopefully rain will come and allow a better flow.

 

[mudbug201]

A really dry spring

AHPS Precipitation Analysis

Better to have low flows now and save water to run in July and August when temps are at their peak. Hopefully rain will come and allow a better flow.

I agree, but the freestones are scary low and the lower EB and even the WB are heating up real fast. This weekend is looking like late summer conditions up there, with only the WB and upper EB in play, and both super low.

The lower East Branch will be over 70 degrees in a day or two. Beaverkill might not be fishable this weekend either.

Hope the hundreds of fishermen who would normally flock to the area in early May watch the conditions and realize what's going on up there. High water temps and super low flows.

June and July are looking good, given the storage, but we'll need a couple inches of rain to get us through May.

 

[WBDluver]

Put down the crack pipe Mudbug. The temperature of the west Branch is 55 degrees and the Beaverkill 45

 

[golden beetle]

I agree, but the freestones are scary low and the lower EB and even the WB are heating up real fast. This weekend is looking like late summer conditions up there, with only the WB and upper EB in play, and both super low.

The lower East Branch will be over 70 degrees in a day or two. Beaverkill might not be fishable this weekend either.

Hope the hundreds of fishermen who would normally flock to the area in early May watch the conditions and realize what's going on up there. High water temps and super low flows.

June and July are looking good, given the storage, but we'll need a couple inches of rain to get us through May.

Good info...

Weather report shows rain next week, but still too early to tell...

 

[mudbug201]

Put down the crack pipe Mudbug. The temperature of the west Branch is 55 degrees and the Beaverkill 45

It's alright. I can check water gauge websites and smoke crack at the same time. Makes it more exciting.

East Branch topped 65 at Fish's Eddy today. Main stem got to about 68 at Callicoon. We've got 5 days of sunny, 80 - 86 degree days ahead, with no rain in the forecast. By Saturday, the lower EB will be well above 70. So will the lower main stem. The West Branch will stay cool, but it is not floatable.

Unless I'm wrong, those are mid- to late-summer conditions.

The difference is that in late July and August, there's almost nobody up there. In early May, every Orvis cowboy within a three hour drive piles into the upper Delaware.

I'm just saying I hope they read up on the conditions before they drive up. It's annoying when Hancock is full of sullen financial sector types who have been looking forward to this weekend all year and then find the rivers low and hot. They totally ruin the vibe at the Circle-E.

 

[WBDluver]

The circle E has a vibe? Thats scary

 

[NJFred]

A really dry spring

AHPS Precipitation Analysis

Better to have low flows now and save water to run in July and August when temps are at their peak. Hopefully rain will come and allow a better flow.

Save water? Better releases over the summer? Only If you call a 275 CFS release a decent release across the summer from Cannonsville... That's what we will get when go to 90% capacity at current FAW.

 

[JOE.T]

I agree, but the freestones are scary low and the lower EB and even the WB are heating up real fast. This weekend is looking like late summer conditions up there, with only the WB and upper EB in play, and both super low.

The lower East Branch will be over 70 degrees in a day or two. Beaverkill might not be fishable this weekend either.

Hope the hundreds of fishermen who would normally flock to the area in early May watch the conditions and realize what's going on up there. High water temps and super low flows.

June and July are looking good, given the storage, but we'll need a couple inches of rain to get us through May.

You are spot on...Except some of us are concerned about Storage this summer..Only Mother Nature has control over that one.

Right now 12:30 readings at

Callicoon almost 69

EB 66 Fish's Eddy

WB at Hancock 64

All will climb higher by tonight.

The only cold water on the WB is up top

Right now they are forecasting ambient temps above 80 until next Tuesday.

Even when it cools down the water levels will be at a trickle without any rain.

You should see it now if you haven't.

 

[NJFred]

Mainstem fishing and Lower East and west almost finished for now Joe T... temps pushing 66 at Lordville, Lower East almost hit 70 today... Lower west should be in upper 60s.. Forget floating anymore until we get rain or a Montague release. It's all upstream of Hale and the upper East. Pray for a Montague release and or rain.