Delaware River Basin Commission
Delaware River Basin CommissionClimate ChangeConsiderations in WaterResource ManagementKristen Bowman Kavanagh, P.E.Deputy Executive Director2021 Annual ConferenceWater Works Operators’ Association of PennsylvaniaOctober 5, 2021Photo: C. Haupt
Watersheds of theDelaware River Basin “Watersheds” or “Drainage Basins” An area of land that drains all thestreams and rainfall to a common outletsuch as the outflow of a reservoir,mouth of a bay, or any point along astream channel.
Six Major Watersheds in PennsylvaniaSource: PA DCNR
PADEP Compacts and Commissions Office toCoordinate Multiple Intra/Interstate OrganizationsInterstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) – an advisory, non-regulatory agency established toprotect and enhance the waters and related resources of the basin through science, regional cooperation, andeducationGreat Lakes Commission (GLC) – interstate/international commission that recommends policies and practices tobalance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great LakesOhio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) – established to control and abate pollution – wastewaterdischarge standards and monitoringSusquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) – enhance public welfare through comprehensive planning, watersupply allocation, and management of the water resources of the basin – monitoring, planning, regulatory (allocation)Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) – for the conservation, utilization, development, management, and controlof the water and related resources of the basin to serve the public welfare – monitoring, planning, regulatory(allocation and discharge)
Watershed Law/Management in PA is Complex Common law – based on previous court decisions or precedents, decided on acase-by-case basis Surface water rules (riparian law) – water rights are limited to land ownersabutting a water body; “reasonable use” doctrine; right to use not own water Groundwater rules (generally follow riparian law) – the biggest pump/ deepestwell wins Lack of a statewide water permitting agency to regulate withdrawals – handled in 2/3 of state by DRBC and SRBC, common law elsewhere State statutory law – piecemeal regulations that target specific water topics Interstate river basin commissions – some with the force of law
State Statutory Authorities Related to WatershedManagement Regulation of pollution Clean Streams Law Similar to federal CWA provisions: sediment management, erosion prevention, pollution standards, agricultural runoff, permitsfor discharging pollutants, stormwater permits, acid mine drainage (PADEP) Oil and Gas Act (pollution of water supply systems resulting from energy development) Dam operations Dam Safety and Encroachment Act Regulated by PADEP: construction, management, downstream minimum releases, wetlands Stormwater management Act 167 Enforced at county level: surface water runoff management plan for each watershed during extreme events Public water supplies 1939 Water Rights Act PUC regulates service areas of public water supply Water quality regulated under state Safe Drinking Water Act (PADEP)
State Statutory Authorities Related to WatershedManagement (cont) Water resources planning Act 220 Statewide water plan, updated every five years (currently being updated), six regions, regional committees andstatewide committee Planning and policy guidance document only – does not regulate water use Requires registration and reporting of metered water use by certain categories/volumes water users Identification of critical water planning areas require Critical Area Resource Plan (CARPs) “Other” PA Environmental Rights Amendment EPA’s Chesapeake Bay nitrogen/phosphorus/sediment TMDLs Instream flow regulation & management (SRBC, DRBC, PA Fish & Boat Commission) PEMA – drought and flood loss reduction
Hancock (RM 330)Welcome to the Delaware River!MontagueFast Facts:Trenton Main stem is 330 miles long Forms an interstate boundary over its entire length Drains 13,539 square miles in 4 states 13.3 million people (about 4% of the U.S. population) rely on thewaters of the Delaware River Basin Water withdrawal in the Basin 6.4 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 Contributes over 21B in economic valuePhiladelphiaRM 0
Delaware River Basin Water UseConsumptive Use:Water that is withdrawn thatis not returned to the surfacewaters of the basinundiminished
What is the Delaware River Basin Commission? Five Equal Members: Delaware New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Federal GovernmentNote: New York City and Philadelphia are “advisors” and not members
Why was the DRBC created? Water supply shortagesand disputes over theapportionment of theBasin’s waters; Severe pollution in theDelaware River and itsmajor tributaries;Fish kill on the Delaware from oil spill in 1929(courtesy of Temple University Archives)Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge in 1955(lehighvalleylive.com file photo) Serious floodingSlaughterhouses discharging in 1928(courtesy of the Phila. Water Dept. Historic Collection)
DRBC Core ResponsibilitiesFlood Damage ReductionDevelopment of Recreational FacilitiesConservation and Development of ground and surface water supplyPromotion of Related . . . Watershed ProjectsImprovedNavigationDevelopment ofHydroelectric PowerPropagation of Fish and GameEnsuring an adequate, equitable,sustainable, and resilient flow ofclean and healthy water.Protectionto FisheriesControl of Movementof Salt WaterAbatement and control of stream pollutionAnd Regulation towards the attainment of these goals
Ensuring Water Security for Over 13 million rResiliency
HabitatHigh-Tide FloodingSea Level RiseSnowpack and IceRight to Left, Top to Bottom: AGU.org; NOAA, Phila.gov, Sea Grant Delaware, S. Mulholland, NOAA SLR Viewer, USGS, NYCDEPDrought
Climate Change Risks Sea Level Rise Increasing air temperatures More frequent dry periods (droughts) More intense heavy rains (flooding) Seasonal changes in hydrology, snowpack, and snow melt Instream flow and temperaturechanges on aquatic habitatPhiladelphia, PA2.93 mm / year0.96 ft. / 100 years
Hancock (RM 330)MontagueTrentonPhiladelphiaRM 0Flow & Salinity Management
Hancock (RM 330)MontagueTrentonPhiladelphiaRM 0Flow & Salinity Management
Hancock (RM 330)MontagueTrentonPhiladelphiaRM 0Flow & Salinity Management
Managing the Salt Front in the Delaware Estuary The “Salt Front” represents wherefreshwater meets saltwater in theEstuary 250 mg/L chloride Salt Front management protectsdrinking & industrial water intakesalong urban corridor
Sea Level Rise Will be a Challenge for FutureSalt Front Management During the 1960s, the saltfront reached RM 100 With droughtmanagement plan, flowtargets, and water code:has not been above RM 92 New planning efforts needto incorporate sea levelrise
Freshwater HydrologicClimate Considerations: Precipitation FlowTemperature Evapotranspiration SnowpackSalt WaterClimate Considerations: Sea Level Rise
2060 Planning Questions - Water Availability Adequacy of availablestorage? Adequacy of emergencystorage? Number of “drought days”? Adequacy of flow objectives? Water budget in major subbasins: Will the available Water Supplymeet the projected WaterDemand?
Predicted Salinity, 0 m vs. 1 m SLRlong-time averaged results, 2002 hydrologic conditionsOne year simulation with 2002 hydrology.Look at long-term tidally averaged salinity on alarge spatial scale and over a long time period.Investigate the change in salinity regime overmarsh areas.
Predicted Long-term-averaged and Depthaveraged Salinity In Marsh AreasResults from one-year simulation with 2002 hydrologyA clear gradient in salinity exists from the bay mouth towardsupstream. For given marsh, tidally-averaged salinity increases as sealevel rises.
Range of Salt Front Movement with SLR Simulated salt frontrange during 4months of low flowconditions Sea Level Rise (SLR)range 0 – 1.6 m
Evaluating Flow Management Scenarios UnderFuture Climate Change HydrologyDRB-PSTFlow Management RulesStep 1Water Code, FFMP, Dockets
Evaluating Flow Management Scenarios UnderFuture Climate Change Hydrology (cont)DRB-PSTWater Use DataFlow Management RulesStep 2Water Code, FFMP, DocketsDRBC, States
Evaluating Flow Management Scenarios UnderFuture Climate Change Hydrology (cont)InflowsWater Use DataFlow Management RulesFuture HydrologyWater Code, FFMP, DocketsStep 3DRBC, StatesDRB-PST
Future Hydrology (Inflows) Developed fromDownscaling GCM OutputGlobal Circulation Model(GCM) Tilesserc.carleton.eduFinite Element Grid ofAtmospheric LayersTiles that Cover the DRB
Projected Water Withdrawal and Consumptive Usefor the Delaware River Basin Through 2060 Analyzed historic water withdrawal data (1990-2017) at the source level – forgroundwater and surface water – to project future water withdrawals (to 2060).Water Withdrawalsin the Delaware River BasinPublic WaterSupplyReport: Section 3Method:Extrapolation of historicwater withdrawal MiningIrrigationReport: Section 6Report: Section 8Report: Section 7Report: Section 5Report: Section 4Method:Method:Method:Method:Method:Population estimate and Extrapolation of historic Extrapolation of historicExtrapolation of historicMultivariate regressionwater withdrawal data water withdrawal data water withdrawal data for temperature andper-capita rates.precipitation.OtherReport: Section 9Method:Extrapolation of historicwater withdrawal data
Peak withdrawals have occurred Thermoelectric decreases since 2007 willplateau as coal-fired facilities using oncethrough are limiting Public Water Supply has shown andprojects decreases despite historic andprojected growing in-Basin population Hydroelectric withdrawals are significant;however, no consumptive use Industrial withdrawals historicallydecrease, but plateau
Consumptive use projected to remainrelatively stable Thermoelectric consumptive useconstant despite decreased withdrawalsdue to changes in technology Irrigation is significant and shows slightincreases related to projected changesin climatic variables Significant spatial variation in terms ofboth withdrawal and consumptive use
Projected Water Withdrawal and Consumptive Usefor the Delaware River Basin Through 2060 Next Steps Groundwater availability 147 HUC scale SEPA GWPA scale Surface Water availability Consider effects of climate change(future hydrology) Consider reservoir operations Consider the Drought of Record
Advisory Committee On Climate Change Composed of climate scientists, researchers, thought leaders, planners and experts onclimate change adaptation and resiliency Representing government, academic and research institutions, environmental andwatershed organizations, businesses/industries, and water/wastewater utilities Purpose & Charge Identify and prioritize threats and vulnerabilities Develop science-based future planning scenarios to inform DRBC planning and modeling studies Coordinating body for climate related Basin water resource and watershed studies Define scope and support development of a Basin wide climate impact study
Additional Information Interest Form (for listserv opt-in on variety of DRBC st/ Advisory Committee on Climate Changehttps://www.nj.gov/drbc/about/advisory/ACCC index.html
Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, P.E.Deputy Executive aging, Protecting & Improving the Basin’sWater Resources Since 1961
Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) -enhance public welfare through comprehensive planning, water supply allocation, and management of the water resources of the basin -monitoring, planning, regulatory (allocation) Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) -for the conservation, utilization, development, management, and control
Delaware River Basin Commission - Proposed New 18 CFR Part 440 Review March 2018 American Petroleum Institute Page vi Executive Summary The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) published proposed rules on November 30, 2017, which would prohibit high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF *) within the Delaware River Basin (DRB).
specifically the Susquehanna River, the Upper Ohio River in West‐ ern Pennsylvania, and the Great Lakes in New York and Pennsylva‐ . The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) seeks to increase the amount of scientific information that they incorporate into basin‐wide goals and standards for river flow management. .
Delaware River Basin: The Delaware River is an. interstate boundary for its entire 330-mile-length, stretching from. Hancock, N.Y. to the Delaware Bay. Susquehanna River Basin: The Susquehanna River flows 444 miles from its headwaters. at Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, N.Y., to Havre de Grace, Md., where the river meets the Chesapeake Bay. Potomac .
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the Ohio River Basin Water Resources Initiative . The goals of this report is to provide a quantifiable estimate of water lost via interbasin transfers, the regulatory policies in place, the role of agencies / . Water Resources Council, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, Apalachicola .
While just the 33rd largest river in the United States, the Delaware River is the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi, extending 390 mi (628 km) from the 3000 ft (970 m) high Catskill Mountains in New York State to the mouth of the Delaware Bay at Cape May, New Jersey. The river
The majority of Plaistow is located in the Little River Watershed which is a sub-basin of the Merrimack River Basin. The Merrimack River Basin covers 173.2 square miles - 10.5 square miles of it is located in Plaistow. The Little River and its drainage basin make up most of Plaistow's surface water.
Here are a few suggested references for this course, [2,19,22]. The latter two references are downloadable if you are logging into MathSci net through your UCSD account. For a proof that all p{ variation paths have some extension to a rough path see, [21] and also see [9, Theorem 9.12 and Remark 9.13]. For other perspectives on the the theory, see [6] and also see Gubinelli [10,11] Also see .
