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Conservation Groups Form First Coalition In Delaware River Watershed
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For the first time ever, a coalition of key conservation groups has agreed to speak with one voice on behalf of the Delaware Watershed. “The Delaware Watershed Conservation Coalition is uniting behind a proposal that would replace the flawed plan that now governs water releases from New York City-owned reservoirs: the infamous Flexible Flow Management Program, due to finally and mercifully expire on June 1,” said Dan Plummer, board chairman of Friends of the Upper Delaware River.
Coalition members have agreed to support the fundamentals of the Joint Fishery White Paper as a one-year alternative to the Flexible Flow plan. The White Paper was produced last year by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as an alternative to the FFMP.
“The White Paper is not perfect,” said Plummer. “But it’s much better than the inadequate, irrational yo-yo releases our precious rivers have experienced under the FFMP.”
“Though it’s imperfect, the White Paper is a good starting point for improved resource management for the coming year,” said Stephen Lieb of Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, a New York City-based angling organization that is one of the coalition groups.
Glenn Erikson of the Federation of Fly Fishers, another coalition member, said the increased flow of 20 cubic feet per second recommended in the White Paper for fall and winter would have a positive impact.
Speaking about the East Branch, he said the increase would diminish the likelihood of “anchor ice” during winter and would help keep the river cooler in the early fall, when limited flow can cause dangerous temperature spikes.
Like Lieb, Erikson said the plan is not perfect—for example, flow levels could decrease in early September. “This is a real problem,” he said, adding that a proposal that resolves that glitch “should be closely considered.
“I believe that improving the other rivers is important, but the East Branch already took a hit when the current flow-management plan was implemented, and I would hate to see it take another,” Lieb said.
Even though the White Paper is based on solid science and was created by two government agencies responsible for the heath and well-being of the rivers, its approval as the official flow plan is far from assured, Plummer said.
“Those of us who have observed the mysterious methods of the Delaware River Basin Commission and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection over the years understand that nothing is certain when it comes to water issues,” he said. “So we need public support, and we need it now. We are barely two months away from the expiration of the FFMP, so the timing is critical.
He asked other individuals or groups to join the coalition’s support of the White Paper plan.
The Delaware Watershed Conservation Coalition includes Friends of the Upper Delaware River, Trout Unlimited National, New Jersey State Council of Trout Unlimited, New York State Council of Trout Unlimited, Pennsylvania State Council of Trout Unlimited, Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers, the Federation of Flyfishers and Wild Trout Flyrodders. Other groups are expected to join, and a number of government entities that cannot publicly acknowledge their support are behind-the-scene supporters.
“The conservation community encompasses a diverse set of organizations, though we share common goals,” said Lieb of the Gordon Fly Fishers. “It is important that decision-makers understand that have come together on this issue.”
The coalition grew out of a meeting of more than 30 stakeholders held last November at the encouragement of Pete Grannis, former commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and John Arway, executive director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
The meeting, called “Water, Water Everywhere: The Future of the Upper Delaware River System,” was held at the Delaware River Club in Starlight, Pa.
In addition to coalition members, participants included representatives from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Park Service, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New York DEC, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Fish and Wildlife Services, Upper Delaware Council, the U.S. Geological Service, Columbia University and a number of local river guides.
“A meeting like this had never happened before, and it was long overdue,” Plummer said. “We wanted to get as many of the key conservation groups as we could in one room to flush out our differences, capitalize on where we agree, and try to create a single, unified voice that could be used to help save this world-class fishery and bring some much-deserved attention to the area.”
After 10 hours of discussions, participants posed outside the lodge beneath a canvas painting of an American flag with a leaping trout that bore the words, "Give Us Water or Give Us Death." Five months later, the coalition grew from seeds planted at the meeting.
“We have an opportunity to strike real change by supporting a common-sense alternative to the FFMP,” Plummer said. “Please join us in the fight and pledge your support for the Joint Fisheries White Paper.”
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3/28/2011 |
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