Delaware River Basin Commision - New Jersey...An Introduction to the Delaware River Basin Commission...
Transcript of Delaware River Basin Commision - New Jersey...An Introduction to the Delaware River Basin Commission...
An Introduction to the Delaware River Basin Commission
Lafayette College
October 2, 2019
Chad Pindar, P.E.Manager of Water Resource Planning
Photo: David B. Soete
Agenda
• Who is DRBC?• Why was DRBC created?• What does DRBC do? • How do we do it? • Future Challenges • Questions
Fast Facts:Delaware River Main stem river is 330 miles long
Delaware River forms an interstate boundary over its entire length
13+ million people (about 5% of the U.S. population) rely on the waters of the Delaware River Basin
Drains 13,539 square miles in 4 states.
Water withdrawal in the Basin = 6.6 billion gallons/day
Significant Exports: NYC (up to 800 MGD) and NJ (up to 100 MGD)
Longest, un-dammed U.S. river east of the Mississippi (dams are located on tributaries, not the main stem Delaware)
Contributes over $21B in economic value to the region.
“A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure”-US Supreme Court Justice
Oliver Wendell Holmes
We are here.
What is an interstate compact?
▪ An arrangement between two of more states that is designed to solves their common problems and that becomes part of the laws of each state.
▪ Under Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the US Constitution states: “No state shall, without the Consent of Congress…enter into any Agreement of Compact with any other State”.
Five Equal Members:
▪ Delaware
▪ New Jersey
▪ Pennsylvania
▪ New York
▪ Federal Government
Who is DRBC? - Delaware River Basin CommissionFounded by Compact in 1961
Note: New York City and Philadelphia are “advisors” and not members
Who is DRBC?
Engineers Geologists Scientists
Biologists Toxicologists
GIS / IT
Fiscal
Administrative
Lawyers Communications Support
Why was the DRBC created?
• Water supply shortages and disputes over the apportionment of the basin’s waters;
• Severe pollution in the Delaware River and its major tributaries;
• Serious flooding
1937
To address the Need for Basin-Scale Planning and Management
▪ 4 States
▪ 42 Counties
▪ 838 Municipalities
▪ New York City
Why was the DRBC created?
Question: How many students grew up within the Delaware River Basin?
~ 9 Million NYC residents rely for the DRB for ~ %50 of their water
• 1921: New York City Board of Water Supply investigates additional sources to supplement Catskill system
• 1920’s: Unsuccessful efforts to reach interstate agreement
• 1929: New Jersey petitions U.S. Supreme Court to enjoin NYC and NYS from constructing DRB reservoir
• 1931 Supreme Court Decree
Why was DRBC created? Interstate Water Disputes
What does DRBC do? Primary Functional Responsibilities
• Water Supply
• Drought Management
• Flood Loss Reduction
• Water Quality
• Watershed Planning
• Regulatory Review (Permitting)
• Outreach/Education
• Recreation
Quantity – An adequate and sustainable supply of water.
Quality – Clean and healthy water resources.
Essentially “Quantity” and “Quality”
Water Management Schematic for the Delaware River Basin Release
or Spill Diversion
Releaseor Spill
Releaseor Spill
Diversion
Diversion
Cannonsville
Pepacton
Neversink
Beltzville
Blue Marsh
Out-of-Basin Diversion
Primarily Water Supply Reservoirs
Multi-Purpose (Flood/Power/WS/Recreation) Reservoirs
Inflow
Inflow
Inflow
Release or Spill
Flow Management Objective
Montague
Trenton
DELAWARE AND RARITAN CANAL
To NYC Water Supply
Up to 800 MGD
DELAWARE RIVER
LEHIGH RIVER
SCHUYLKILL RIVER
ESTUARY and “Salt Line”
Up t0 100 MGD
96 BG
140 BG
35 BG
Non Drought Target = 1750 cfs (1130 MGD)
Non Drought Target = 3000 cfs (1940 MGD)
22 BG Total13 BG for Water Supply
16 BG Total6.5 BG for Water Supply
To New Jersey
Water Supply
Release or Spill
Note: Not all reservoirs, tributaries, and diversions are shown.
F.E. Walter
Release or Spill
35 BG
Primarily Flood Control Reservoir
USACE Owned and Operated Reservoirs
Outflow or Spill
Jadwin Prompton
Outflow or Spill
8 BG 7 BG
LACKAWAXEN RIVER
NockamixonEmergency
WallenpaupackEmergency
MongaupEmergency
Merrill CreekConsumptive Use
Replacement
15 BG
30 BG
16 BG
12 BG
Water Quantity - Drought Years
Decades
Reservoir Completed A B C D E F G H I
Drought Years:
Drought Watch or Warning
Drought Emergency
2010s
A=Neversink, B=Pepacton, C=Nockamixon, D=Promtpon and Jadwin, E=FE Walter; F=Cannonsville, G=Belzville, H=Blue Marsh, I=Merrill Creek.
Lake Wallenpaupack and the Mongaup System were constructed in the 1920s]; Dates are approximate.
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
• Public drinking water (after reasonable treatment)
• Recreation
• Wildlife, fish and other aquatic life
• Regulated waste assimilation
Water Quality – Establish “Uses”
Photo: David B. Soete
Water Quality – Set Standards
❑From 1962, Commission adopted Water Quality Regulations pursuant to Article 5 of the Compact;
❑To protect aquatic life and human health for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects.
❑Updated and revised periodically to the present;
❑ Includes standards for mainstem Water Quality Management Zones, interstate tributaries, and some basin wide standards.
Water Quality - Monitoring
1) Fish Tissue
2) Ambient Water
3) Sediment
4) Atmosphere
5) Point Sources
Water Quality - Assessments
Delaware River and Bay Water Quality Assessment Report (305b)
Every even numbered year – next 2020
https://www.nj.gov/drbc/quality/reports/wq-assessment-rpts.html#2
Technical Report for the Estuary & Basin (TREB) ~ 5 years
Near real-time assessments
https://drbc.net/Sky/waterq.htm
Water Quality – Develop and Apply models
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
1000
10000
2016 2026 2036 2046 2056 2066 2076 2086 2096 2106 2116
Tota
l PC
B c
on
cen
trat
ion
(pg/
L)
Years
Projected, median Total PCB concentrations (Penta Homolog Model)4 BCs and external loads @ zero; Sediment & Water column @ current Conc.
Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 PCB WQC (16 pg/L)
USGS Gage 01440200 at
Water Gap
Pequest River
Bushkill Creek
Shoeneck
Creek
Lopatcong Creek
Pohatcong Creek
Musconetcong Creek
Tohickon Creek
USGS Gage 01440200 at
Trenton, NJ
134.57 km
78 Reaches
343 elements54.5 km, 22 Reaches, 109 elements
17 km, 16 Reaches, 34 elements
46.5 km, 15 Reaches, 93 elements
72.5 km, 34 Reaches, 143 elements
18 km, 14 Reaches, 36 elements
35 km, 19 Reaches, 70 elements
11 km,
10 Reaches,
22 elements
Flow f rom
Brodhead
Lehigh
River
Cooks Creek
Tinicum Creek
Pidcock Creek
Paunacussing Creek
Nishisakaw ick Creek
Lockatong Creek
Wickecheoke Creek
Martins Creek
Paulins Kill
Model Upstream Boundary
Delaw are River at Portland
foot bridge
USGS Gage
01457500
Riegelsville, NJ
USGS Gage
01446500
Belvidere, NJ
Non-Segmented Tributaries
USGS Flow Gages
Segmented Tributaries
(various colors)
LEGEND
~ 90 Point Dischargers
Identified on segmented
reaches
~41 of those in PCS
How do we do it?
1. Regulatory Agency DRBC issues dockets (approvals) for projects that impact water resources
Discharges : effluent limitations Withdrawals : quantity restrictions / temporal restrictions Reservoirs : minimum releases / operating plans
Establish ambient water quality standards
2. Planning Agency Long term water supply planning Reservoir and river flow modeling Water quality modeling – dockets, TMDLs, etc.
3. Monitoring & Assessment Measure and assess water, sediment, biota Martins Creek Power Plant. Credit: DRBC
How do we do it? Significant Regulatory Programs
DRB Compact Section 3.8:
• No project having a substantial effect on the water resources of the Basin shall…be undertaken…unless it …[is] submitted to and approved by the Commission.
• The Commission shall approve a project whenever it finds…that such a project will not substantially impair or conflict with the comprehensive plan…
• Typical regulatory programs:
•Water withdrawals
•Wastewater treatment/discharges
•Flood Plain
•Other projects Groundwater withdrawal. Credit: DRBC
How do we do it? DRBC Advisory Committees
▪ Flood
▪ Regulated Flow
▪ Water Management
▪ Toxics
▪ Water Quality
▪ Monitoring Advisory & Coordination
WMAC. Credit: DRBC
How do we do it? - Planning
➢ Compact – Planning Powers and Duties (Section 3.2)
➢ Comprehensive Plan (Section 13.1)
>Water Resources Program (Section 13.2)
Compact : Article 4 Water Supply
4.1 Generally. The commission shall have power to develop, implement and effectuate plans and projects for the use of the water of the basin for domestic, municipal, agricultural and industrial water supply. To this end,
without limitation thereto, it may provide for, construct, acquire, operate and maintain dams, reservoirs and other facilities for utilization of surface and ground water resources, and all related structures, appurtenances and equipment on the river and its tributaries and at such off-river sites as it may find appropriate, and may regulate and control the use thereof.
• Specific projects and facilities and statements of policy and programs may be incorporated, deleted or modified to reflect changing conditions, research and new technology.
• Versions
✓ 1st CP – March 28, 1962; approved by Resolution 62-4. 21 (proposed) Reservoir/Storage Projects.
✓ 2nd CP (draft) – September 1973 – Never adopted via Resolution (reliance upon Tocks Island).
✓ 3rd CP – July 2001, adopted by Resolution No. 2001-27.
• Resolution No. 2001-27 recognized an ongoing “Comprehensive Plan” related effort by the Watershed Advisory Council (1999-2004). That effort ultimately resulted in goal-based plan (vs. an updated CP).
How do we do it? - Comprehensive Plan
• WRP required by the Compact (Articles 3.2 & 13.2)
• Required to be updated annually, sets strategic plan for DRBC program direction “during the ensuing six years or such other reasonably foreseeable period” (lately 3 years)
• Program presented in two parts:
- Section I - Conditions
- Section II – Work Program
• FY2019-2021 recently approved
How do we do it? - Water Resources Program
Future Challenges
Sea Level Rise:NOAA
Endangered Species – Atlantic Sturgeoncredit: NOAA: Fisheries.noaa.gov
Climate Change
Future Challenges
PFOA / PFOS
Microplastics
Linear Infrastructure: Pipelines & Electric Transmission
Hydraulic Fracturing
Questions?
Managing Our Shared Water Resources since 1961
Chad Pindar, P.E.Manager, Water Resource Planning
www.drbc.net
https://twitter.com/DRBC1961/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/drbc1961/collections/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/delaware-river-basin-commission/
https://www.youtube.com/user/delrivbasincomm/
https://www.instagram.com/drbc1961/