For Immediate Release
Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) today announced the continuation of the Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP). This agreement allows Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, as well as the City of New York, to work together to balance water supply needs. This includes protecting aquatic life, enhancing flood mitigation, and managing for droughts. For example, if a storm is predicated, then officials can release water from New York’s reservoirs to prevent flooding. They can also release specific cold water sections to help create valuable trout fisheries. If they hadn’t agreed to a new plan to manage water supplies within the Delaware River, New Jersey would see the drinking water supply for over 15 million people threatened.
The agreement to manage the Delaware river has been signed. This is an important step forward to make sure we have adequate water supply and we protect the ecological integrity of the river. The Flexible Flow Management Program to lapse. The agreement allows us to manage the water supply for the entire region and help us mitigate against flooding and droughts,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “It’s important that they were able to come to an agreement and continue this FFMP so that all states in the region can appropriate manage our water supply together.”
The agreement helps organize and guide the releases of water from New York City’s Neversink, Pepacton, and Cannonsville reservoirs, flow objectives in the main stem Delaware River, and out of basin diversions by New York City and New Jersey. In May, the agreement expired. At first New Jersey could not come to an agreement with the other states but since, they have negotiated the new agreement.
“New Jersey had at first refused to cooperate but have now come to an agreement. During the time the agreement was not in place, New York could have taken as much water as they wanted from the upstream reservoirs. If New York held back to much water, there would be a drop-in flow and the water would be dirtier because there is not enough to dilute non-point and point source pollution. The salt water line would also move up threatening drinking water for South Jersey and Philadelphia,” said Jeff Tittel. “We’re glad that New York stepped up and allowed additional water flows from its reservoirs during the period of time when this agreement lapsed. If we had allowed the compact to expire, New Jersey could actually cause the river to dry up, allowing tremendous impacts to the Basin’s ecology, economy, and downstream water supply.
While New Jersey has experienced record-breaking droughts, our low reservoir levels have led to an increased threat of salt water intrusion, further threatening our water supply. For example, salty water from the Delaware Bay entering the Delaware River and getting dangerously close to water intake points in Delran. New Jersey’s drought is not only a result of low rainfall, but more about increase of pollution, poor water quality, and the DEP’s failure to clean-up our waterways.
“Without this agreement to help manage the water supply of the entire region, we would see a decrease in water supply, fish kills, people drinking sewage, and increasing more salt water intrusion. Although this is an important program to balance water supply, we still have some concerns with it. We do not believe that allowing voids in reservoirs in New York is a good idea. If you have a drought and the reservoirs are low, there may not be enough water to keep the flow going and the saltwater from intruding. We need increased flows into the Delaware River to help maintain the ecology and quality that benefits our water, tourism industry, and fisheries. Without cooperation with other states, especially New York, NJ would have meant more dirty water, lower reservoir levels, and increased flooding,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The River belongs to all of us and this management program is an important way to make sure people from the entire Delaware River Basin get clean, adequate drinking water.”