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Pennsylvania has signed a one-year
renewal of an agreement governing the management of water in the
Delaware River, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
announced today.
The renewal of the flexible flow management program, which was also
signed by fellow parties Delaware, New Jersey, New York and New York
City, is effective Friday, June 1.
Pennsylvania is a party to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decree that
established an equitable allocation of water use under federal common
law.
“This agreement will ensure that the continual and steady flow of
water in the Delaware River protects Philadelphia’s water supply from
salt water, which can flow in from the Atlantic Ocean,” DEP Secretary
Mike Krancer said. “This extension will allow all of the partners to
work together this year to find longer-term solutions to the flow issues
on the Delaware River.”
The agreement allows for the occasional release of large volumes of
cold water from reservoirs in New York to improve fishery habitats and
ecology downstream as well as provide a balance in water supply
throughout the states during drought conditions. The reservoirs provide
drinking water for millions of residents in the four states.
The agreement also calls on New York to store less water in some of
the reservoirs during most of the year, creating greater storage
capacity during storm events to help reduce flooding downstream.
For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us or call 717-783-4693.
