River flow spared by contingency plan

MILFORD — A contingency plan agreed upon on Thursday will keep water flow in the Upper Delaware River from dropping to catastrophic levels.
In a four-party agreement, New York City agreed to release water above minimum targets, beginning June 1, just as a water-sharing programwas about to expire. The lack of sufficient releases would devastate the river's ecology and recreational uses while increasing flood risk.
“Pennsylvania is pleased that, despite difficult negotiations, this group was able to put together a plan that prioritized the needs of the river and its communities,” said Patrick McDonnell, commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
New Jersey was the sole hold-out among the five participants in the Flexible Flow Management Program, the result of a 1954 Supreme Court decree that regulates drinking water withdrawals, as the program expired. Delaware, New York, New York City, and Pennsylvania agreed to extend the program but New Jersey did not.
Without unanimous agreement, flow management reverts to a 1983 program known as “Revision 1,” which cuts releases downstream from New York City’s reservoirs by more than half during most times of the year. Flood protection provisions would also be eliminated.
“While New York City is under no legal obligation to release more water than outlined in the 1983 program, we are using our authority to voluntarily release water for the benefit of downstream communities, ecological health, and to preserve years of progress on the Delaware River,” said Vincent Sapienza, Acting Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. “The support we received from the states of Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania has been invaluable. They truly understand that the parties can and should work collaboratively to advance the interests of everyone connected to the river without needlessly moving backward.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos also commended the deal.
“The agreement we executed today preserves the important water releases provided by the Flexible Flow Management Program to support over 35 miles of prized cold water trout streams, protecting both the natural environment and an important regional economic driver. NYCDEP’s voluntary action will also help limit peak high water levels in communities that have a long and difficult history of damaging floods.”
The city's concession will also help members in the lower basin.
“The new agreement will provide additional releases that will help to maintain the water quality in the lower Delaware basin and the Delaware Bay,” said Secretary Shawn Garvin of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
OnlineRelated story, with reaction from local canoe liveries: "Delaware River set to go dry, if impasse holds": http://bit.ly/2rLwBjg
"Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and New York City Announce Contingency Plan to Preserve Conservation Releases and Enhanced Flood Protection on Delaware River": New York City Department of Environmental Protection: http://on.nyc.gov/2rLhaI9
Editor's note: This article has been updated from the original to correct confusion between the Delaware River Basin Commission(DRBC), formed in 1961 by the four basin states, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, plus the federal government as the fifth member. The 1954 decree partners include the four basin states with New York City, not the federal government, as the fifth member.