FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January
26, 2005
CONTACT:
Ian Michaels (DEP)
718-595-6600
Gabrielle Done (DEC)
518-402-8000
New
Spill Reduction Program At City’s Pepacton Reservoir
DEC
and DEP Work Together to Prevent Area Flooding
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Commissioner Erin M. Crotty and New York City Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) Acting Commissioner David B. Tweedy today announced
implementation of a new spill reduction program of controlled releases
from the City’s Pepacton Reservoir in Delaware County.
“This unique, joint project will help protect the people
and properties along the flood-prone portions of the Delaware River
during the winter and spring months when snow causes water levels
to rise sharply,” Commissioner Crotty said. “Through
work with DEP, local municipalities, and the federal government,
we have been able to create a unique controlled release program
that will alleviate the pressure of snowfall and melt. This will
help protect the residences along this portion of the River while
also ensuring that water supply remains at desired levels to serve
the millions of New Yorkers that rely on this important resource.”
“This agreement balances the interests of areas downstream
of Pepacton with the concerns of the nine million people who depend
on the reservoir as a critical part of their drinking water supply,” said
Tweedy. “While this will help absorb much of the anticipated
spring run-off, residents must remember that Pepacton was not designed
as a flood control reservoir. Controlled releases will help decrease
the risk, but communities downstream should still take steps to
improve their flood preparedness and to closely examine their uses
of the downstream flood plain.”
Under the program, controlled releases will be made from Pepacton
in order to maintain a void in the reservoir equal to one-half
of the water equivalent of any existing snow pack, meaning that
the void will vary as the snow pack increases or decreases. The
program will continue until March 31.
The new program is the result of an agreement reached after months
of discussion by a committee seeking ways to help alleviate flooding
concerns along the East Branch of the Delaware River . Members
of the committee include DEP, DEC, Delaware County , the Town of
Colchester , and the federal government. The terms of the agreement
were approved by the four Delaware Basin States, as is required
for any controlled releases from the City’s Delaware River
reservoirs. , , a
Supplemental releases will not be made when the river stage at
Fishs Eddy is above 13.0 ft., or is projected to be above 13 feet
within 48 hours. Releases may also be suspended if ice threatens
flood-prone areas. The flood stage for the East Branch of the Delaware
River is 13 feet as measured by the gauging station at Fishs Eddy.
The Pepacton Reservoir is the largest of the four reservoirs
that make up New York City ’s Delaware Water System, which
provides about 50 percent of the City’s daily supply of about
1.1 billion gallons. It was put into service in 1954 and has a
capacity of 143.7 billion gallons. As of January 25, because of
extremely high precipitation in the watershed, the reservoir was
filled to 100.3 percent of capacity. Average levels at Pepacton
for the month of January have historically been 71.7 percent.
“Normal reservoir levels are based on averages from previous
years,” said Tweedy. “Some years are higher and some
years will be lower. That is why the system has experienced six
droughts since 1980. Above average water levels are an important
hedge against the possibility of future droughts, which are impossible
to predict.”
Releases and river levels are directed by Delaware River Master
or the DRBC according to a 1954 Supreme Court consent decree between
the City and the Delaware River basin states of New York , New
Jersey , Pennsylvania and Delaware . Releases can also be dictated
by the DEC in accordance with the DRBC experimental fisheries program.
Changes to the release program require the approval of all four
states. The DEP cannot take unilateral action to increase or decrease
the downstream releases from the City’s three Delaware River
reservoirs.
Similar spill reduction releases were made last year, when a
five billion gallon void was created in Pepacton in anticipation
of runoff from a melting snow pack.
Snow pack estimates are issued daily by the National Weather
Service. The DEP also takes snow pack measurements and recently
upgraded its system for Pepacton Reservoir to achieve more accurate
results.