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If you fish the Upper Delaware System you already know what a special place this is. Remarkably, it continues to survive as a wild trout fishery, a very good one at that, within a three hour drive form the most densely populated region in the United States. The 75 miles of the Upper Delaware River has been declared a National Wild and Scenic River.
The fish were there before this river became a tailwater over fifty years ago, but over that time span the cold water influence has caused it to increase its wild trout population both in the main river and its two major tributaries. It has its up and downs, sometimes caused by natural events but, more often caused by man made political influences. Without getting distracted here with the politics of water, this river has the potential to greatly improve itself in both fish population and increased river habitat.
The organization that has taken the lead on this mission is the Friends of the Upper Delaware River.
The Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR) is currently working with the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, The New York State Department of Conservation, Trout Unlimited, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, the Town of Hancock, NY, Delaware County, NY Department of Public Works, US Army Corp of Engineers and many professional and corporate sponsors.
This grassroots organization is on the move. They have one concern: the Upper Delaware River. If you share a similar concern please consider becoming part of them. For less than the cost of a days fishing you can help make a difference. Visit FUDR
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
FUDR to Host Meeting on Creek Restoration Project
March 19, 2010
For Immediate Release
For more information:
Dan Plummer, FUDR chairman
catskilldan@mac.com
1-607-363-7848
Stream Advocacy Group
Hosts Meeting to Update
NY Creek Restoration Project
Friends of the Upper Delaware River will hold a public meeting next month to update the community on restoration of flood-ravaged Sands and Cadosia creeks in Delaware County, N.Y.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 5 at Emory United Methodist Church, 89 W. Main St., Hancock, N.Y.
The two creeks, important tributaries to the Delaware River, have been the subject of a stream restoration project that began in November 2008. The creeks were severely damaged in a 2006 flood in which homes, roads, bridges and spawning habitat were damaged or destroyed. FUDR, the O’Connor Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded the first phase, which focused on damage assessment. The second phase, set to begin this spring, is again being led by LandStudies Inc., a Lititz, Penn., firm that specializes in flood plain restoration, in cooperation with the Town of Hancock and the Delaware County Public Works Department.
Hancock Supervisor Sam Rowe and Wayne Reynolds, the county’s public works commissioner, have been important partners on the project, said Lee Hartman of Equinunk, Penn., the FUDR vice president who is leading the project for the nonprofit river advocacy group.
“Sam Rowe and Wayne Reynolds have been instrumental in helping push this project forward,” Hartman said. “Without their support, this work would just be sitting in a pile of papers on someone’s desk. Sam and Wayne are keeping this thing alive.”
The April 5 meeting will include a showing of a short film about the damaged tributaries made by FUDR member Dave Morris. In the film, Commissioner Reynolds says, “We thought we could teach Mother Nature a thing or two. Well, guess who got taught?”
LandStudies president Mark Gutshall explains in the film that the typical short-term flood “solution” of digging streams deeper and straighter, then fixing damaged bridges, culverts and roads, makes no financial sense. The sensible long-term solution is “preventative work,” he said, including building overflows into the creek systems so floodwater isn’t simply running down a shoot toward bridges and personal property when the inevitable heavy rain or snowmelt happens.
Hartman said the film is a great tool for educating the public about the persistent problem of creek flooding. It includes interviews with local residents and officials expressing their concerns.
FUDR continues to seek additional funding partners for the creek restorations, said Dan Plummer, the group’s chairman.
“We have found a number of partners who are excited about the project and who have been more than willing to help,” Plummer said. “FUDR plans on seeing this through, but we’ll need continued financial support to complete the project. And when it is finished, the entire community will benefit. Hancock has paid its dues and needs a break
For Immediate Release
For more information:
Dan Plummer, FUDR chairman
catskilldan@mac.com
1-607-363-7848
Stream Advocacy Group
Hosts Meeting to Update
NY Creek Restoration Project
Friends of the Upper Delaware River will hold a public meeting next month to update the community on restoration of flood-ravaged Sands and Cadosia creeks in Delaware County, N.Y.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 5 at Emory United Methodist Church, 89 W. Main St., Hancock, N.Y.
The two creeks, important tributaries to the Delaware River, have been the subject of a stream restoration project that began in November 2008. The creeks were severely damaged in a 2006 flood in which homes, roads, bridges and spawning habitat were damaged or destroyed. FUDR, the O’Connor Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded the first phase, which focused on damage assessment. The second phase, set to begin this spring, is again being led by LandStudies Inc., a Lititz, Penn., firm that specializes in flood plain restoration, in cooperation with the Town of Hancock and the Delaware County Public Works Department.
Hancock Supervisor Sam Rowe and Wayne Reynolds, the county’s public works commissioner, have been important partners on the project, said Lee Hartman of Equinunk, Penn., the FUDR vice president who is leading the project for the nonprofit river advocacy group.
“Sam Rowe and Wayne Reynolds have been instrumental in helping push this project forward,” Hartman said. “Without their support, this work would just be sitting in a pile of papers on someone’s desk. Sam and Wayne are keeping this thing alive.”
The April 5 meeting will include a showing of a short film about the damaged tributaries made by FUDR member Dave Morris. In the film, Commissioner Reynolds says, “We thought we could teach Mother Nature a thing or two. Well, guess who got taught?”
LandStudies president Mark Gutshall explains in the film that the typical short-term flood “solution” of digging streams deeper and straighter, then fixing damaged bridges, culverts and roads, makes no financial sense. The sensible long-term solution is “preventative work,” he said, including building overflows into the creek systems so floodwater isn’t simply running down a shoot toward bridges and personal property when the inevitable heavy rain or snowmelt happens.
Hartman said the film is a great tool for educating the public about the persistent problem of creek flooding. It includes interviews with local residents and officials expressing their concerns.
FUDR continues to seek additional funding partners for the creek restorations, said Dan Plummer, the group’s chairman.
“We have found a number of partners who are excited about the project and who have been more than willing to help,” Plummer said. “FUDR plans on seeing this through, but we’ll need continued financial support to complete the project. And when it is finished, the entire community will benefit. Hancock has paid its dues and needs a break
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Hydraulic Fracturing Study
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
March 18,
2010
EPA Initiates
Hydraulic Fracturing Study
Agency seeks input
from Science Advisory Board
WASHINGTON
– The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will conduct a
comprehensive research study to investigate the potential adverse impact that
hydraulic fracturing may have on water quality and public health. Natural gas
plays a key role in our nation’s clean energy future and the process known as
hydraulic fracturing is one way of accessing that vital resource. There are concerns that hydraulic
fracturing may impact ground water and surface water quality in ways that
threaten human health and the environment. To address
these concerns and strengthen our clean energy future and in response to
language inserted into the fiscal year 2010 Appropriations Act, EPA is
re-allocating $1.9 million for this comprehensive, peer-reviewed study for FY10
and requesting funding for FY11 in the president’s budget
proposal.
“Our
research will be designed to answer questions about the potential impact of
hydraulic fracturing on human health and the environment,” said Dr. Paul T.
Anastas, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development.
“The study will be conducted through a transparent, peer-reviewed process, with
significant stakeholder input.”
EPA is in the very
early stages of designing a hydraulic fracturing research program. The agency is
proposing the process begin with (1) defining research questions and identifying
data gaps; (2) conducting a robust process for stakeholder input and research
prioritization; (3) with this input, developing a detailed study design that
will undergo external peer-review, leading to (4) implementing the planned
research studies.
To support this
initial planning phase and guide the development of the study plan, the agency
is seeking suggestions
and comments from the EPA Science
Advisory Board (SAB)—an independent, external federal advisory committee. The agency has requested that the
Environmental Engineering Committee (EEC) of the SAB evaluate and provide advice
on EPA’s proposed approach. The agency will use this advice and extensive
stakeholder input to guide the design of the study.
Hydraulic fracturing
is a process that drills vertical and horizontal cracks underground that help
withdraw gas, or oil, from coalbeds, shale and other geological formations.
While each site is unique, in general, the process involves vertical and
horizontal drilling, taking water from the ground, injecting fracturing fluids
and sands into the formation, and withdrawing gas and separating and managing
the leftover waters.
A federal register
notice was issued March 18, announcing a SAB meeting April 7-8.
More information on
hydraulic fracturing: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/uic/wells_hydrofrac.html
More information on
the SAB and the supporting documents: http://www.epa.gov/sab
R074
Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a
browser.
Monday, March 8, 2010
New York City Watershed Snowpack
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE10-21
To deal with this, we have enacted a series of initiatives to minimize any negative effects on the surrounding community and on the quality of New York City’s water.
As part of an ongoing program to monitor and manage the water stored above our reservoirs in the snowpack, DEP has taken the following steps:
March 3, 2010
CONTACT:
Michael Saucier/Mercedes Padilla (718) 595-6600
Statement on DEP Watershed Snowpack Levels
NYC Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway today released the following statement on watershed snowpack levels in the water supply system
As part of our standard operating procedure, DEP continually monitors the amount of snowpack in the Catskill/Delaware watersheds during the winter season so that we can address potential impacts of higher than expected snowfall. Due to last week’s historic snowstorms, which in some places brought more than four feet of snow, the quantity of water in the snowpack has quickly outpaced its historical average. To put it in context, we experience roughly 60 billion gallons of snowpack water this time of year, but this season we have nearly tripled that level — to 175 billion gallons.To deal with this, we have enacted a series of initiatives to minimize any negative effects on the surrounding community and on the quality of New York City’s water.
As part of an ongoing program to monitor and manage the water stored above our reservoirs in the snowpack, DEP has taken the following steps:
-
Release the maximum amount of water allowed under the Flexible Flow Management Plan, which is intended to provide a more adaptive means for managing the Cannonsville, Pepacton, and Neversink reservoirs. DEP includes half of the water content in the snowpack in the total storage for its Delaware reservoirs. Accounting for this snowpack water allows DEP to enhance the flood mitigation already provided by the reservoirs.
-
Continue running the Ashokan Reservoir Waste Channel that was activated in January, and increasing the release volume to 300 to 350 million gallons per day. The Ashokan Waste Channel is a concrete canal used to convey water released in a controlled manner from the reservoir through the upper and lower gate chambers to the Little Beaverkill stream and the lower Esopus Creek. The release will improve water quality in the reservoir, which saw an increase in turbidity levels as the result of snowmelt and rains earlier this winter, and will enhance flood prevention protection.
-
Operate siphons at Gilboa Dam at Schoharie Reservoir, which releases approximately 200 million gallons of water a day into Schoharie Creek.
New System to Improve NYC Reservoir Management
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE10-18
Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway today announced that work has begun on the Operations Support Tool (OST), a cutting-edge, $5.2 million computer system that will enable DEP’s water supply operators to more accurately predict water storage levels in the City’s reservoirs so that DEP can better manage the movement of water throughout the reservoir system, and ultimately, to the 9 million New Yorkers who rely on the City’s drinking water every day. The initiative, the first of its kind in the world, will improve the City’s water management systems by predicting events that could affect water quality much earlier than is possible now, and incorporating more data in the models used to determine water flows. Understanding the volume and quality of the reservoirs and their feeding waters (rivers, streams, etc.) is critical to isolating and addressing cloudy water that can affect overall quality. When completed, the Operations Support Tool will enable DEP to divert or release water from its reservoirs at the best times to guarantee the highest quality water is delivered to New Yorkers and to protect downstream habitat. The system is expected to be complete by 2013 and will be phased in on a rolling basis. The consultant for the initiative is Hazen and Sawyer.
"The Operations Support Tool will help us make earlier and better decisions about moving water between and out of our reservoirs to ensure the delivery of the highest quality water possible to the 9 million New Yorkers who rely on our water supply," said Commissioner Holloway. "Proactively moving water not needed for supply can help cushion storm impacts that can affect downstream communities and improve the aquatic habit below our reservoirs."
"We look forward to this collaboration with Commissioner Holloway and his team," said Jack Hayes, Ph.D., Director of the National Weather Service. "We help New York manage its regional water resources effectively by providing high-quality precipitation and stream flow forecasts. Implementation of the new Operations Support Tool holds great promise to strengthen this partnership."
The Operations Support Tool will link DEP’s water quality and quantity models; assimilate near-real-time data on reservoir levels, stream flow into the reservoirs, snowpack and water quality in streams and reservoirs; and ingest National Weather Service forecasts. At the same time, it will apply the rules and laws that govern the water supply operations.
DEP manages the City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8 million in New York City, and residents of Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties. Approximately 1,000 DEP employees live and work in the watershed communities.
February 24, 2010
CONTACT:
Michael Saucier/Mercedes Padilla (718) 595-6600
DEP Building New System to Improve Reservoir Management
Cutting Edge Water Supply Computer Modeling System Will Be First of its Kind in the World
Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway today announced that work has begun on the Operations Support Tool (OST), a cutting-edge, $5.2 million computer system that will enable DEP’s water supply operators to more accurately predict water storage levels in the City’s reservoirs so that DEP can better manage the movement of water throughout the reservoir system, and ultimately, to the 9 million New Yorkers who rely on the City’s drinking water every day. The initiative, the first of its kind in the world, will improve the City’s water management systems by predicting events that could affect water quality much earlier than is possible now, and incorporating more data in the models used to determine water flows. Understanding the volume and quality of the reservoirs and their feeding waters (rivers, streams, etc.) is critical to isolating and addressing cloudy water that can affect overall quality. When completed, the Operations Support Tool will enable DEP to divert or release water from its reservoirs at the best times to guarantee the highest quality water is delivered to New Yorkers and to protect downstream habitat. The system is expected to be complete by 2013 and will be phased in on a rolling basis. The consultant for the initiative is Hazen and Sawyer.
"The Operations Support Tool will help us make earlier and better decisions about moving water between and out of our reservoirs to ensure the delivery of the highest quality water possible to the 9 million New Yorkers who rely on our water supply," said Commissioner Holloway. "Proactively moving water not needed for supply can help cushion storm impacts that can affect downstream communities and improve the aquatic habit below our reservoirs."
"We look forward to this collaboration with Commissioner Holloway and his team," said Jack Hayes, Ph.D., Director of the National Weather Service. "We help New York manage its regional water resources effectively by providing high-quality precipitation and stream flow forecasts. Implementation of the new Operations Support Tool holds great promise to strengthen this partnership."
The Operations Support Tool will link DEP’s water quality and quantity models; assimilate near-real-time data on reservoir levels, stream flow into the reservoirs, snowpack and water quality in streams and reservoirs; and ingest National Weather Service forecasts. At the same time, it will apply the rules and laws that govern the water supply operations.
DEP manages the City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8 million in New York City, and residents of Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties. Approximately 1,000 DEP employees live and work in the watershed communities.
NYC DEP Expands Initiative To Better Measure Snowpack
|
MORE INFORMATION
NYC Department of Environmental
Protection
Communications & Intergovernmental Affairs
59-17 Junction Boulevard
19th Floor Flushing, NY 11373
(718) 595 - 6600
|
||||||||
Thursday, March 4, 2010
New York City Increases Reservoir Releases to Accommodate Record Snow Pack
HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania
Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said today that New York
City has stepped up the amount of water it releases from its reservoirs
to reduce the threat of flooding from the historic snow pack throughout
the upper Delaware River basin.
This action is one of several new flood-mitigation measures established under a cooperative agreement between New York City and states along the Delaware River. The city controls several large reservoirs in the headwaters of the basin that can affect water levels on the main stem of the river.
“The record-setting snows of February have deposited snow pack amounts up to three times the average in the upper Delaware River basin, creating the potential for flooding along the river in the event of a rapid snowmelt,” Hanger said.
To put it in perspective, the upper basin typically contains 60 billion gallons of snowpack water at this time of year, but recent snowstorms have tripled the water content in the region’s snowpack to an estimated 175 billion gallons.
“To lessen the threat to downstream lives and property, New York City is releasing the maximum amount of water allowed under the Flexible Flow Management Plan to increase the storage capacity in their reservoirs,” said Hanger. “This is the sort of cooperation we hoped for when we created this multi-state agreement to manage water levels along the Delaware, and I applaud the New York City officials for their quick action.”
The Flexible Flow Management Plan for New York City’s reservoirs was adopted in 2007 following major flooding along the Delaware River and is the first operating plan for the reservoirs to include flood mitigation principles, as well as public water supply and in-stream habitat protection. New York City has agreed to operate their reservoirs to provide a measure of flood control for the main stem of the river while ensuring that the city has sufficient water to meet its needs.
For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us.
This action is one of several new flood-mitigation measures established under a cooperative agreement between New York City and states along the Delaware River. The city controls several large reservoirs in the headwaters of the basin that can affect water levels on the main stem of the river.
“The record-setting snows of February have deposited snow pack amounts up to three times the average in the upper Delaware River basin, creating the potential for flooding along the river in the event of a rapid snowmelt,” Hanger said.
To put it in perspective, the upper basin typically contains 60 billion gallons of snowpack water at this time of year, but recent snowstorms have tripled the water content in the region’s snowpack to an estimated 175 billion gallons.
“To lessen the threat to downstream lives and property, New York City is releasing the maximum amount of water allowed under the Flexible Flow Management Plan to increase the storage capacity in their reservoirs,” said Hanger. “This is the sort of cooperation we hoped for when we created this multi-state agreement to manage water levels along the Delaware, and I applaud the New York City officials for their quick action.”
The Flexible Flow Management Plan for New York City’s reservoirs was adopted in 2007 following major flooding along the Delaware River and is the first operating plan for the reservoirs to include flood mitigation principles, as well as public water supply and in-stream habitat protection. New York City has agreed to operate their reservoirs to provide a measure of flood control for the main stem of the river while ensuring that the city has sufficient water to meet its needs.
For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us.
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