Photos of Nature in the Upper Delaware Watershed

Photos of Nature in the Upper Delaware Watershed is a photo contest sponsored by the Upper Delaware Bioblitz. This contest is easy to enter and is open for entries up to May 1, 2104. 

To place your entry just click on this link to their Facebook page, Photos of Nature in the Upper Delaware Watershed, like the page, and post your photo of an Upper Delaware River Valley scene on their timeline. Winners in several categories will be announced at the 2014 BioBlitz. To learn more about these two programs visit their web pages highlighted above.

The BioBlitz was a pretty cool event that took place this summer that documented 1,024 different species of plants, insects and animals during a 24 hour period. Check out their website for the details http://upperdelawarebioblitz.com/

New Your City's Reservoir Release Web Page

New York City has recently added a web page to their Department of Environmental Protection website that gives the current water releases from their reservoirs.  The water release numbers are given in mgd (million gallons per day). Many of us are more familiar with the cfs (cubic feet per second) as it applies, and looks to the rivers of the Delaware River system. The conversion isn't that difficult. 1 mgd = 1.547 cfs. A sharp pencil or a pocket calculator will quickly make the conversion.

Why New York City chooses to give the mgd release rate instead of the cfs rate is anyone's guess considering the water management plan and the US Supreme Court Decree governing the management of the river so often refer to cfs. My guess is mgd looks more impressive and gives the appearance that the city is giving up more water to the four down basin states, and the health of the upper river, than they actually are.

To put it visually, if you had a cube that was 51.1 feet on each side it would hold a million gallons of water. 100 mgd would be 100 of these cubes. Another way to look at it is one millions gallons of water at one foot deep would cover 3.07 acres.

To see the current release rates from NYC reservoirs follow this link: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/drinking_water/release_channel_levels.shtml

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Will Be Looking For a New Executive Director

Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Executive Director Carol R. Collier today announced that she will be retiring on March 12, 2014. The public was informed during the executive director’s report presented at the commission’s business meeting, which was held at the Mount Laurel Campus of Burlington County College.

“I have served as executive director for 15 years and believe that is long enough for the good of the person and the position,” Collier said. “It has truly been an honor to serve the basin community.”

“Throughout my travels, I have witnessed firsthand that DRBC is seen as the model for effective trans-boundary water management around the world,” Collier added.

Ms. Collier was sworn in as the commission’s third executive director on August 31, 1998, becoming the first woman to head an interstate-federal compact agency. The first challenge facing her was a multi-year drought which started very soon after she began her DRBC duties.

Reporting to and carrying out the policy directions of the four basin states and the federal government which comprise the DRBC, Collier managed the commission’s professional staff consisting of 39 full-time employees. During her 15-year tenure, the list of notable accomplishments achieved by the DRBC included the following:

·         Expanded coverage of the commission’s Special Protection Waters (SPW) regulations by permanently adding the 76-mile-long stretch of the Lower Delaware. SPW designation, intended to “Keeping the Clean Water Clean,” now includes the entire non-tidal Delaware River from Hancock, N.Y. south to Trenton, N.J.

·         Led efforts to develop the technical basis for PCB total maximum daily loads (TMDLs or “pollution budgets”) in the tidal Delaware River/Bay along with the implementation strategy to address point (end-of-pipe) and non-point (runoff) sources of PCBs in this 133-mile-long stretch of water. These efforts included the rule establishing innovative pollutant minimization plan (PMP) requirements, which led to the top ten dischargers that once contributed 90% of the point source PCB loadings into the estuary reducing their loadings by 46% since 2005.

·         Completed the Water Resources Plan for the Delaware River Basin in 2004. The “basin plan” is a 30-year goal-based framework that serves as a guide for all governmental and non-governmental stakeholders whose actions affect water resources in the basin.

·         Issued “State of the Basin” reports in 2008 and 2013, which describe current conditions and provide a platform for measuring and reporting future progress.

·         Ten months after the Delaware River Basin Interstate Flood Mitigation Task Force was convened by DRBC staff at the direction of the basin state governors, an action agenda with 45 recommendations for a more proactive, sustainable, and systematic approach to flood damage reduction was presented to the governors in July 2007. The task force was formed following three Delaware River floods that occurred between September 2004 and June 2006.

·         Building upon its previous water conservation program accomplishments, the DRBC in 2009 implemented a new water audit approach to identify and control water loss.

A common thread that ran throughout Collier’s years as executive director is a belief that DRBC be viewed as having an open mind and an open-door policy. She has been dedicated to finding ways to engage stakeholders and other interested persons in basin issues and problem-solving efforts.

“Before I retire in six months, my hope is that the DRBC will be able to complete a number of actions,” Collier said. “These include adoption of the PCB standard and implementation strategy for the Delaware Estuary, progress toward a one discharge permit program, reinstatement of fair share funding from the federal government and New York State, and defining a strategy for natural gas in the basin.”

“It will be most difficult leaving the incredible DRBC staff members,” Collier added. “They are the most competent and dedicated people I have ever worked with.”

Prior to taking the top staff position with DRBC, Collier served as executive director for Pennsylvania’s 21^st Century Environment Commission at the request of Governor Tom Ridge and was regional director of the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection Southeast Region. Collier also worked 19 years with BCM Environmental Engineers, Inc., where she advanced to the position of Vice President of Environmental Planning, Science, and Risk.

Ms. Collier is currently the national president of the American Water Resources Association, a professional organization dedicated to the advancement of water resources management, research, and education.

Information about the search for a new executive director will be posted on the commission’s web site at www.drbc.net as soon as it becomes available.

The DRBC is a federal/interstate government agency responsible for managing the water resources within the 13,539 square-mile Delaware River Basin without regard to political boundaries. The five commission members are the governors of the basin states (Del., N.J., N.Y., and Pa.) and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ North Atlantic Division, who represents the federal government.

Public Listening Sessions on the Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) for the Delaware River

The State of Delaware, the State of New Jersey, the State of New York, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the City of New York announce two upcoming FFMP Listening Sessions that are intended to solicit feedback on the FFMP from a broad cross section of interested parties. Feedback accepted will be limited to FFMP-related issues only; comments on other topics or programs will not be accepted at these sessions. Specifically, the Decree Parties invite input on the following topics addressed by the FFMP:

1. Flood Mitigation under the FFMP
2. Aquatic Life and Ecosystems under the FFMP
3. Water Supply Obligations and Reliability
4. Recreational Use
5. Other Topics addressed by the FFMP.

The Listening Sessions will be held at two locations (see below) in the Delaware River Basin. The program at each location will consist of a brief overview of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree, and the roles and responsibilities of the Decree Party Principals, the Delaware River Master, and the Delaware River Basin Commission. Each session will be 80 minutes in length. The venues for the Listening Sessions are as follows:

Upper Basin Loch Sheldrake, NY Tuesday October 1, 2013	Middle Basin Easton, PA Wednesday October 2, 2013
3 p.m.—5 p.m. and 6 p.m.—8 p.m. Sullivan County Community College (SUNY Sullivan) Seelig Theater 112 College Road Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759	3 p.m.—5 p.m. and 6 p.m.—8 p.m. The Nurture Nature Center 518 Northampton Street Easton, Pennsylvania 18042
*There will be a total of four listening sessions -- two at each meeting location. At each location, one session will be in the afternoon and one will be in the early evening.

Individuals who have registered in advance of the Listening Sessions will speak first, in the order of their registration receipt. Individuals or their representatives who wish to speak must do so in person. Written comments may be submitted in person during the Listening Sessions. Additional information on Listening Session format and procedures is posted on the River Master's web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/odrm/index.html
Individuals who wish to speak can register by completing the online form posted on the Delaware River Master's web site at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Lrn7yAkG1dkeqmoxq22tUunjE2At5jD26_JBQAHwXTw/viewform