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Lower Woods Pond is part natural and part manmade. It's the manmade part that's become the problem.
The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) announced that due to concerns about the integrity of the dam that transformed this 50 acre natural lake into a 91 acre man-made lake, the lake will be drawn down to it's original size.
“Failure of the dam does not appear to be imminent, but the dam’s
earthen embankment and its spillway do not meet current engineering or
regulatory standards,” said Jack Rokavec, PFBC chief of engineering.
“In addition, observed seepage paths may be indicative of internal
erosion which could represent a serious dam safety condition.”
“The Commission takes its regulatory and public safety responsibilities
very seriously,” he added. “The Commission is drawing down the
reservoir to protect the lives and property of the 25 residents living
downstream."
The lake is expected to drop at the rate of half a foot per day. This shrinking of the lake has caused the PFBC to lift all regulations as to size limits. creel limits and seasons on the lake through March 31, 2013. This should be an interesting place to fish with the Wild West atmosphere that could ensue.
“We have chosen to temporarily lift the regulations in order to reduce
the number of fish in the lake in anticipation of a reduced lake size,”
said Dave Miko, chief of the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management.
“We want anglers to fish the water and harvest and make good use out of
as many fish as they can.”
Maybe some fish relocation to other lakes in the area would have been a more sporting alternative.
Due to the draw down the boat ramp has been closed too.
Lower Woods Pond is located in Lebanon
Township, Wayne County. It is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by
the PFBC. Construction costs to repair the facility are estimated at $2
million.
The lake’s dam is
one of 11 dams managed by the PFBC which are classified by the state
Department of Environmental Protection as high-hazard and unsafe. Nine
of the dams do not have funding. Fixing the nine unfunded dams would cost about $43 million.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Oil Slick Could Reach Delaware River
The former Erie-Lackawanna Railroad site is now owned by the city of Port Jervis, NY on the southern end of the Upper Delaware River National Scenic & Recreation River. This also happens to be on the northern end of another national park, The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Between these two National Parks there is over 110 miles of river supposedly protected.
I say supposedly because the latest thing to surface (no pun) is an underground oil slick made up of more than 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel that could contaminate the special protection water of the Delaware River.
The NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) plans on building an interceptor trench to prevent the oil slick from reaching the river. The oil slick is currently located about 1/4 mile from the site and officials estimate that it could take 20 years for the oil to reach the river. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel much better since we all know "officials" are always right.
Why doesn't the state use some of the modern technology that exists in the oil & gas industry to suck this diesel fuel from the ground. It's 10,000 gallons of already refined crude oil that should have a better use somewhere else. Or is it the technology that can extract natural gas from thousands of feet below the surface not capable of extracting an oil slick from several feet below the surface? Is it not a safe technology?
We can expect to see more of these situations if fracking for natural gas is ever allowed in the Delaware River Basin. It might be diesel fuel or some other harmful product or by-product the gas industry will leave behind. That's one thing history has taught us about that industry, they don't discriminate.
I say supposedly because the latest thing to surface (no pun) is an underground oil slick made up of more than 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel that could contaminate the special protection water of the Delaware River.
The NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) plans on building an interceptor trench to prevent the oil slick from reaching the river. The oil slick is currently located about 1/4 mile from the site and officials estimate that it could take 20 years for the oil to reach the river. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel much better since we all know "officials" are always right.
Why doesn't the state use some of the modern technology that exists in the oil & gas industry to suck this diesel fuel from the ground. It's 10,000 gallons of already refined crude oil that should have a better use somewhere else. Or is it the technology that can extract natural gas from thousands of feet below the surface not capable of extracting an oil slick from several feet below the surface? Is it not a safe technology?
We can expect to see more of these situations if fracking for natural gas is ever allowed in the Delaware River Basin. It might be diesel fuel or some other harmful product or by-product the gas industry will leave behind. That's one thing history has taught us about that industry, they don't discriminate.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Delaware Watershed Conservation Coalition’s Suggested Changes/Additions to FFMP/OST
Changes are definitely needed in the current water management plan and the Friends of the Upper Delaware River was at the most recent Delaware River Basin Commission's (DRBC) Regulatory Flow Advisory Committee's (RFAC) meeting adding their two cents for the health of the river and fish.
You can read their comments and input here: http://www.fudr.org/blog/2012/12/12/delaware-watershed-conservation-coalitions-suggested-changesadditions-to-ffmpost/
You can read their comments and input here: http://www.fudr.org/blog/2012/12/12/delaware-watershed-conservation-coalitions-suggested-changesadditions-to-ffmpost/
Friday, December 7, 2012
Delaware River Basin Commission Rejects Petition To Regulate Pipelines
The Delaware River Basin Commission officially rejected the request that it exercise its existing authority over pipelines. This decision is in response to a request for a hearing submitted on August 9 and a petition submitted on September 12 by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network and signed on to by 52 environmental, civic, community and faith organizations.
13 new pipeline projects (including expansions) are proposed for the Delaware River watershed. There is no state or federal agency that is considering the cumulative impact of all of these new projects. The DRBC is the one agency that has the jurisdiction and mission that would support a cumulative impacts assessment and ensure compliance with special protection water regulations of the agency.
“DRBC’s decision not to review pipeline projects is pure cowardice; the agency is more interested in protecting contributions to its budget from the states than carrying forth the mission for which it was created, which is to protect the water resources of the Delaware River Basin for us all, not the gas drillers and pipeline companies,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper.
“Pipelines are a known and growing source of air pollution that is contributing to climate change, to water pollution from polluted runoff, and to the devastation of wetlands, streams, and healthy forests critical for flood and species protection,” said van Rossum. “They are also responsible for the increased taking of private and public lands through the exercise and/or threat of their eminent domain authority. They are the big bully partners of the gas drillers and it is sad to see the DRBC duck their responsibilities.”
According to a map handed out by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network at the meeting, new pipelines and expansions are proposed to cut through the counties of:
Pennsylvania: Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lebanon, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne
New Jersey: Gloucester, Hunterdon and Sussex Counties
Delaware: New Castle and Kent Counties
New York: Broome, Delaware, Orange and Sullivan Counties
13 new pipeline projects (including expansions) are proposed for the Delaware River watershed. There is no state or federal agency that is considering the cumulative impact of all of these new projects. The DRBC is the one agency that has the jurisdiction and mission that would support a cumulative impacts assessment and ensure compliance with special protection water regulations of the agency.
“DRBC’s decision not to review pipeline projects is pure cowardice; the agency is more interested in protecting contributions to its budget from the states than carrying forth the mission for which it was created, which is to protect the water resources of the Delaware River Basin for us all, not the gas drillers and pipeline companies,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper.
“Pipelines are a known and growing source of air pollution that is contributing to climate change, to water pollution from polluted runoff, and to the devastation of wetlands, streams, and healthy forests critical for flood and species protection,” said van Rossum. “They are also responsible for the increased taking of private and public lands through the exercise and/or threat of their eminent domain authority. They are the big bully partners of the gas drillers and it is sad to see the DRBC duck their responsibilities.”
According to a map handed out by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network at the meeting, new pipelines and expansions are proposed to cut through the counties of:
Pennsylvania: Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lebanon, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne
New Jersey: Gloucester, Hunterdon and Sussex Counties
Delaware: New Castle and Kent Counties
New York: Broome, Delaware, Orange and Sullivan Counties
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Petitioners want more oversight on pipelines in the Delaware River watershed
With tens of thousand of miles of new natural gas pipelines expected to transverse the Delaware River watershed through PA, NJ & NY to move the Marcellus natural gas being fracked from wells, conservation groups have petitioned the Delaware River Basin Commission to take jurisdiction over pipeline proposals by using the existing authority granted to the multi-state commission.
"The DRBC should use its existing authority, or establish new authority, to ensure … no new pipelines will be constructed that might adversely affect water quality,” said Kate Sinding, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council who, along with 51 other organizations, has signed onto the petition.
The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is made up of the governors of PA, NJ, NY and DE along with a representative of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The DRBC can enact rules and regulations to protect the watershed.
"The DRBC should use its existing authority, or establish new authority, to ensure … no new pipelines will be constructed that might adversely affect water quality,” said Kate Sinding, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council who, along with 51 other organizations, has signed onto the petition.
The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is made up of the governors of PA, NJ, NY and DE along with a representative of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The DRBC can enact rules and regulations to protect the watershed.
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