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Intro to the Delaware River Basin. Megan Wiley Rivera HydroLogics, Inc Sept 13, 2010. Basin-wide water management (see interactive map) New York State Recreation Trout Fisheries Flood control New York City Water Supply (2 people) Pennsylvania Flood control Lake recreation
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Intro to the Delaware River Basin Megan Wiley Rivera HydroLogics, Inc Sept 13, 2010
Basin-wide water management • (see interactive map) • New York State • Recreation • Trout Fisheries • Flood control • New York City • Water Supply (2 people) • Pennsylvania • Flood control • Lake recreation • Livery (river) recreation • New Jersey • Water Supply • Fisheries • Salt water encroachment • Delaware • Oysters • Floodplains • Dwarf wedgemussels
Croton system • Project began in 1837 • First water reach NYC in 1842 • New Croton River system completed in 1911 • About 10% of present system • Note how the Delaware and Catskill Aqueducts feed into this system
Croton SystemCapacity: 86.6B gallons% of Capacity: 92.1 Neversink ReservoirCapacity: 34.9B gallons% of Capacity: 77.7 Rondout ReservoirCapacity: 49.6B gallons% of Capacity: 93.6 Pepacton ReservoirCapacity: 140.2B gallons% of Capacity: 87.5 Schoharie ReservoirCapacity: 17.6B gallons% of Capacity: 77.2 Cannonsville ReservoirCapacity: 95.7B gallons% of Capacity: 77.2 Ashokan ReservoirCapacity: 122.9B gallons% of Capacity: 77.1 Consumption Consumption Consumption 1.11 1.11 8/24/08 8/24/08 8/24/08 1.1 bg consumed 8/24/2008 http://nyc.gov/html/dep/html/drinking_water/maplevels_wide.shtml
How much water is this? • Total storage = 458.2 bg • Delaware storage = 270.8 bg • One way to think of storage: this is the water to get you through dry times (credit card) • Seasonally • Multi-year droughts • Inflows are more like the water you have to work with (income).
Consent Decree Agreement (1950) • NYC could divert 800 mgd (ave) in exchange for guaranteeing 1750 cfs daily at Montague • Limitations of the Montague target • Hamstrings conjunctive use with lower basin reservoirs • Not tied to any purpose • June 1 reset • Established Delaware River Basin Commission
In drought, there is not enough water • The allocation seems unrealistic both before and after the 60s drought • 800 mgd for NYC • 1750 cfs at Montague • 100 mgd for Northern NJ • To get through the 60’s drought: major water restrictions (water famine), NYC suspended Montague releases, NYC eventually took Hudson water, salt front came within 10 miles of Philadelphia intake
Good Faith Agreement (1982) • After the 1960’s drought, parties negotiated “shorting” schedule • Incentives! • At the beginning of a drought, if NYC uses Delaware water instead of Catskills water, the Montague target is reduced • Catskills reservoirs refill more quickly • June 1 reset discourages conservation
Flexible Flow Management Program • Some improvements (thermal banks for example) • Does not address the major problems • Drought Management Incentives • Montague Target • June 1 reset • Still cannot get through repeat of 1960s drought
Our Charge • We are going to attempt to negotiate a basin management plan that does better for ALL stakeholders than the FFMP • Changes to the FFMP are adopted by consensus only • Compromises may be made within states if necessary • This is doable!