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Delaware Releases Aim To Improve Habitat In Upper Delaware
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In a continuing effort to help support the fisheries habitat in the tailwaters downstream of the New York City-Delaware Basin reservoirs, New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the City of New York announced a temporary agreement to modify reservoir operations from June 1 through August 31 based upon the Flexible Flow Management Program.
The 2010 summer releases program, which calls for the same releases as last year’s temporary program, is designed to benefit conditions for trout in the West Branch of the Delaware River by increasing cold water releases from NYC’s Cannonsville Reservoir over the three-month summer period.
Cold water released from the bottom of the reservoir will help support the renowned tailwater trout fishery by reducing thermal stress caused by the summer’s warmer temperatures. Absent prolonged drought conditions, the agreement increases the base Cannonsville release by up to 25 percent to 325 cubic feet per second for most of the summer. It also reserves a quantity of water in an “Extraordinary Needs Bank” available for use by the Decree Parties for unforeseen needs.
The temporary, summertime program revises operations in accordance with the FFMP agreement that governs NYC-Delaware Basin reservoir diversions and releases under the terms of the 1983 Good Faith Agreement.
The FFMP, which was originally adopted by the Decree Parties in September 2007 and amended in December 2008, will expire on May 31, 2011 unless renewed.
The FFMP and its associated agreements can be accessed at the U.S. Geological Survey Office of the Delaware River Master website.
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6/7/2010 |
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