Press Release: Upper Delaware River

Related press release:

At:

http://www.flyfisherman.com [first page]

or

http://www.flyfisherman.com/environment/fdelaware/

and

http://www.flyfishingconnection.com

and

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/ [conservation]




Friends of the Delaware River


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
PRESS RELEASE
I'd like to introduce you to the Friends of the Upper Delaware River, an all
volunteer, advocacy organization dedicated to protecting one of the few wild
trout fisheries remaining in the East - the now severely threatened,
federally designated "Wild and Scenic" upper Delaware River, and its
connecting, world famous, West Branch. These truly unique resources annually
attract thousands of anglers from around the world, contributing tens of
millions of dollars to the local economies. Detailed below are some of the
new factors at play that could, in the near future, destroy this world class
fishery, as well as, the Friends' intended course of action to keep that
from happening.

To appreciate the challenges now facing this unique resource, it is first
necessary to understand how this fishery came to be. The construction of
dams along the Delaware created a cold water ecosystem affecting the river
for miles, downstream from the dams. Wild trout and much of the aquatic
insect life they depend upon for food, require cold water to flourish or,
often, even to survive. A warm water environment, that is, a water
temperature approaching seventy degrees or more can be lethal for both trout
and aquatic insects. Accordingly, cold water releases are critical in
maintaining both wild trout and a cold water ecosystem. Since certainly no
one is suggesting the removal of the dams, the threat to the fishery then
comes from erratic releases, the amount of cold water released, the timing
of those releases and the management of those releases.

Control of the dams, and of the releases that so drastically influence the
upper Delaware, rests with New York City's Department of Environmental
Protection - a rather environmentally friendly name for what is, in reality,
the City's Water Department. All of the reservoirs on the upper Delaware are
in New York State and under the City's sovereign control. Historically, from
the time each of the three principal dams 'went on line', and with
consistency, the City's DEP has disregarded efforts that would help to
preserve, let alone enhance, this great resource. Still, somehow, the
fishery did survive, and it did flourish - until now. Now there are new and
lethal threats.

To understand these new threats, it is first necessary to understand a bit
of history. In 1954, to settle a dispute over water between the States of
New York and New Jersey, the United States Supreme Court issued a decree.
Perhaps the single key element in that decree, was the mandate that a
minimum flow of 1750 cubic feet per second (cfs) be maintained at a
monitoring station located at Montague, New Jersey - far down River from the
fishery. The Court left it to the various states to decide how to regulate
their respective resources to meet that requirement. In 1961, the Delaware
River Basin Commission (DRBC) was formed to regulate all of the various
flows, entering the Delaware, from the four contiguous states. Each state,
the Federal Government and New York City has a representative on the
Commission. New York City, like State Commissioners, can veto, with
finality, any recommendation or proposal that comes before it.

For over four decades, the New York City's DEP has, with near perfect
consistency, vetoed any proposal that would be of help to the wild trout.
All of the above brings us to a chronicle of our most immediate concerns:
The Subcommittee on Ecological Flows (SEF), a subcommittee of the DRBC, has
begun a fairly well publicized three to five year process intended to
develop an overall flow plan for the entire Delaware basin. A needed and
highly commendable effort, and one in which the Friends of the Upper
Delaware has offered to partner; that is to participate in those areas where
there could be a mutual sharing of effort to the benefit of the entire
basin. However, while we support and would participate in certain aspects of
the overall concept, we do have serious concerns regarding some of the
processes as they relate specifically to the fishery. There is, in our
opinion, a danger in that far too many people will rely on only superficial
public information and assume this process will satisfactorily relieve the
threats to the fishery. In reality, the wild trout fishery figures as just
one rather small aspect of a much greater, master plan. Still, even if the
fishery were more prominent in this planning process, the basic premise, as
it relates directly to the fishery, would seem seriously flawed. The premise
suggests that after years of studies, New York's DEP will reverse four
decades of demonstrated disregard for the fishery and would accept, based on
these studies, whatever 'flows' and releases may be proposed for the
protection of the trout. Perhaps they will. But far more likely, history
will again prove prologue and all such proposals will, in the final
presentation, be vetoed by the DEP-leaving the fishery in considerably worse
shape, years down the road, than it is today.

Further, we strongly disagree with the currently promoted 'interim' 225 cfs
flows that are to be put in place for the next three to five years while
these studies are being conducted. As you know, flows differ from releases
in that they include all water (including warm water from tributaries,
summer run off, rain, etc.) coming to the monitoring point (or flow target).
Releases account for only the critical cold water coming from the dams. The
more warm water that is counted, the less cold water needs to be released to
meet even the dangerous 225 cfs target. Such a low flow rate would have no
cooling effect on water temperature even as close to the Cannonsville Dam as
the Town of Hancock. Far more importantly, in a summer with high air
temperatures, the meager 225 cfs flows would prove lethal for both the trout
and insect populations. It should also be realized that the arguments for
relying on the 225 flows are based on a seriously flawed 'study' done over
two decades ago that was never entirely implemented.

We also must strongly oppose, as is detailed in the Study Outline prepared
for the Upper Delaware Ecological Flows Study (the master plan) this past
October, the proposed remanaging, as warm water fisheries, the Neversink
River, from the Town of Bridgeville down, the East Branch of the Delaware
from its confluence with the Beaverkill down to Hancock and the main stem
from the Town of Hankins on down to Callicoon. All of these waters have been
cold water ecosystems and classic trout water for generations of anglers.

In addition to the threats posed to the wild trout fishery by some aspects
of this planning process, Pennsylvania Power and Light's new relicensing of
its power generating plant on Lake Wallenpaupack will release substantial
quantities of water into the Lackawaxen River which, in turn, flows into the
Delaware - far down stream of the fishery. These new releases will be
counted, especially during the critical summer months, toward the Supreme
Court mandated 1750 cfs at Montague. The inclusion of these new releases
substantially reduces the amount of water the DEP has, until now, found
necessary to release from Cannonsville in order to satisfy that Montague
mandate.

Here again, we must also stop to take note. One of the arguments the DEP has
consistently raised whenever challenged about regulated releases for the
fishery, is that if the City were indeed to provide enough water for the
fish, seven million New Yorkers would be at risk in the event of a drought.
In reality, the guaranteed 600 cfs release from the Cannonsville Dam we are
calling for (from May to September), is approximately the same, or less
than, the averages for comparable month to month periods for the past
twenty-five years, indicating this is far more an issue of proper and
guaranteed management than of sufficient water.

It must be also pointed out that the DEP does have other options that,
perhaps especially in these uncertain times, it should pursue. It could, for
instance, repair the leaking aqueducts that waste an estimated 30 to 100
million gallons of fresh water each day, or it could provide a filtration
system on the Hudson that would provide an additional 330 + million gallons
of clean water daily. And we must keep in mind that in the past twenty
years, there have been only two actual droughts that have gone through the
summer. And, of the eight drought 'warnings' - none of which reached the
status of 'drought emergency' - that have occurred over the same period,
three were in mid-September and the remaining five were in late fall; in
both cases, when warm water was not a threat to the fishery.

Although we certainly take issue with both some of the proposed aspects of
the flow studies that are to be undertaken, and assuredly with the potential
impact the new PPL releases will have on the fishery, the focus for the
Friends of the Upper Delaware River must clearly be addressing New York
City's DEP. The DEP is the sovereign agency actually controlling the
releases and, accordingly, it is the agency we hope to encourage into
positive discussions and constructive changes.

Toward that end, our positions are clear and concise: To protect both the
wild trout and the cold water ecosystem, we seek a guaranteed 600 cfs
release, from the Cannonsville Reservoir, from May 15 to September 15th.
Here we would also point out that this rate of release not only protects the
fishery, it readily accommodates both wade and drift boat fishermen and in
so doing protects local fishing related economies. During the less critical
winter months, from September 16th to May 14th, we seek a guaranteed flow of
300 cfs; adequate for preventing anchor ice and similar threatening
problems. To prevent abrupt and dangerous changes in release rates, we
maintain that the transition times of these changes must be 'ramped' or
gradually changed. We seek a guarantee that the water temperature from
Cannonsville downstream to Lordville, not exceed 70 degrees at any time. We
maintain that the new flows being released from the PPL power generating
plant on Lake Wallenpaupack, should not be counted towards the Supreme Court
mandate at Montague. We maintain that, to prevent silt build up, the
Cannonsville releases be augmented with releases from the East Branch when
Cannonsville levels drop below thirty percent. Similarly, we call for the
locating and correcting of silt entering the West Branch and the upper main
stem from feeder streams. We call for the development of a mutually agreed
to plan for proportional water release reductions during periods of declared
drought. We maintain that during periods of high water or air temperatures,
spillage be offset with equal amounts of cold water releases. And finally,
we maintain that current suggestions to remanage the waters described above
be abandoned and, moreover, these waters safeguarded with guaranteed
consistent releases.

As one of the Congressmen with whom the Friends already met pointed out, to
challenge New York City, is to take on the proverbial 800-pound gorilla.
Perhaps, but this is nonetheless an engagement we feel we must undertake. We
are asking for, and would very genuinely appreciate, your endorsement and
your support.

Sincerely,
Craig Findley, President, (315) 656-8313,
Lee Hartman, Vice President, (215) 679-5022,

Excellent Post and one very worthy of appearing on ROFF. I wish more had
your concerns and addressed them as well instead of trading insults. Alas,
evryone wants conservation but having been heavily involved in it, I've
discovered that most want someone else to do it.

BobS

--
Bob Sheedy
www.mwflyfishing.net
Author: Lake Fly Fishing Strategies
Bob Sheedy's Top Fifty Stillwater Fly Patterns


"American Angler" wrote in message
...
Related press release:

At:

http://www.flyfisherman.com [first page]

or

http://www.flyfisherman.com/environment/fdelaware/

and

http://www.flyfishingconnection.com

and

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/ [conservation]




Friends of the Delaware River


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
----
PRESS RELEASE
I'd like to introduce you to the Friends of the Upper Delaware River, an
all
volunteer, advocacy organization dedicated to protecting one of the few
wild
trout fisheries remaining in the East - the now severely threatened,
federally designated "Wild and Scenic" upper Delaware River, and its
connecting, world famous, West Branch. These truly unique resources
annually
attract thousands of anglers from around the world, contributing tens of
millions of dollars to the local economies. Detailed below are some of the
new factors at play that could, in the near future, destroy this world
class
fishery, as well as, the Friends' intended course of action to keep that
from happening.

To appreciate the challenges now facing this unique resource, it is first
necessary to understand how this fishery came to be. The construction of
dams along the Delaware created a cold water ecosystem affecting the river
for miles, downstream from the dams. Wild trout and much of the aquatic
insect life they depend upon for food, require cold water to flourish or,
often, even to survive. A warm water environment, that is, a water
temperature approaching seventy degrees or more can be lethal for both
trout
and aquatic insects. Accordingly, cold water releases are critical in
maintaining both wild trout and a cold water ecosystem. Since certainly no
one is suggesting the removal of the dams, the threat to the fishery then
comes from erratic releases, the amount of cold water released, the timing
of those releases and the management of those releases.

Control of the dams, and of the releases that so drastically influence the
upper Delaware, rests with New York City's Department of Environmental
Protection - a rather environmentally friendly name for what is, in
reality,
the City's Water Department. All of the reservoirs on the upper Delaware
are
in New York State and under the City's sovereign control. Historically,
from
the time each of the three principal dams 'went on line', and with
consistency, the City's DEP has disregarded efforts that would help to
preserve, let alone enhance, this great resource. Still, somehow, the
fishery did survive, and it did flourish - until now. Now there are new
and
lethal threats.

To understand these new threats, it is first necessary to understand a bit
of history. In 1954, to settle a dispute over water between the States of
New York and New Jersey, the United States Supreme Court issued a decree.
Perhaps the single key element in that decree, was the mandate that a
minimum flow of 1750 cubic feet per second (cfs) be maintained at a
monitoring station located at Montague, New Jersey - far down River from
the
fishery. The Court left it to the various states to decide how to regulate
their respective resources to meet that requirement. In 1961, the Delaware
River Basin Commission (DRBC) was formed to regulate all of the various
flows, entering the Delaware, from the four contiguous states. Each state,
the Federal Government and New York City has a representative on the
Commission. New York City, like State Commissioners, can veto, with
finality, any recommendation or proposal that comes before it.

For over four decades, the New York City's DEP has, with near perfect
consistency, vetoed any proposal that would be of help to the wild trout.
All of the above brings us to a chronicle of our most immediate concerns:
The Subcommittee on Ecological Flows (SEF), a subcommittee of the DRBC,
has
begun a fairly well publicized three to five year process intended to
develop an overall flow plan for the entire Delaware basin. A needed and
highly commendable effort, and one in which the Friends of the Upper
Delaware has offered to partner; that is to participate in those areas
where
there could be a mutual sharing of effort to the benefit of the entire
basin. However, while we support and would participate in certain aspects
of
the overall concept, we do have serious concerns regarding some of the
processes as they relate specifically to the fishery. There is, in our
opinion, a danger in that far too many people will rely on only
superficial
public information and assume this process will satisfactorily relieve the
threats to the fishery. In reality, the wild trout fishery figures as just
one rather small aspect of a much greater, master plan. Still, even if the
fishery were more prominent in this planning process, the basic premise,
as
it relates directly to the fishery, would seem seriously flawed. The
premise
suggests that after years of studies, New York's DEP will reverse four
decades of demonstrated disregard for the fishery and would accept, based
on
these studies, whatever 'flows' and releases may be proposed for the
protection of the trout. Perhaps they will. But far more likely, history
will again prove prologue and all such proposals will, in the final
presentation, be vetoed by the DEP-leaving the fishery in considerably
worse
shape, years down the road, than it is today.

Further, we strongly disagree with the currently promoted 'interim' 225
cfs
flows that are to be put in place for the next three to five years while
these studies are being conducted. As you know, flows differ from releases
in that they include all water (including warm water from tributaries,
summer run off, rain, etc.) coming to the monitoring point (or flow
target).
Releases account for only the critical cold water coming from the dams.
The
more warm water that is counted, the less cold water needs to be released
to
meet even the dangerous 225 cfs target. Such a low flow rate would have no
cooling effect on water temperature even as close to the Cannonsville Dam
as
the Town of Hancock. Far more importantly, in a summer with high air
temperatures, the meager 225 cfs flows would prove lethal for both the
trout
and insect populations. It should also be realized that the arguments for
relying on the 225 flows are based on a seriously flawed 'study' done over
two decades ago that was never entirely implemented.

We also must strongly oppose, as is detailed in the Study Outline prepared
for the Upper Delaware Ecological Flows Study (the master plan) this past
October, the proposed remanaging, as warm water fisheries, the Neversink
River, from the Town of Bridgeville down, the East Branch of the Delaware
from its confluence with the Beaverkill down to Hancock and the main stem
from the Town of Hankins on down to Callicoon. All of these waters have
been
cold water ecosystems and classic trout water for generations of anglers.

In addition to the threats posed to the wild trout fishery by some aspects
of this planning process, Pennsylvania Power and Light's new relicensing
of
its power generating plant on Lake Wallenpaupack will release substantial
quantities of water into the Lackawaxen River which, in turn, flows into
the
Delaware - far down stream of the fishery. These new releases will be
counted, especially during the critical summer months, toward the Supreme
Court mandated 1750 cfs at Montague. The inclusion of these new releases
substantially reduces the amount of water the DEP has, until now, found
necessary to release from Cannonsville in order to satisfy that Montague
mandate.

Here again, we must also stop to take note. One of the arguments the DEP
has
consistently raised whenever challenged about regulated releases for the
fishery, is that if the City were indeed to provide enough water for the
fish, seven million New Yorkers would be at risk in the event of a
drought.
In reality, the guaranteed 600 cfs release from the Cannonsville Dam we
are
calling for (from May to September), is approximately the same, or less
than, the averages for comparable month to month periods for the past
twenty-five years, indicating this is far more an issue of proper and
guaranteed management than of sufficient water.

It must be also pointed out that the DEP does have other options that,
perhaps especially in these uncertain times, it should pursue. It could,
for
instance, repair the leaking aqueducts that waste an estimated 30 to 100
million gallons of fresh water each day, or it could provide a filtration
system on the Hudson that would provide an additional 330 + million
gallons
of clean water daily. And we must keep in mind that in the past twenty
years, there have been only two actual droughts that have gone through the
summer. And, of the eight drought 'warnings' - none of which reached the
status of 'drought emergency' - that have occurred over the same period,
three were in mid-September and the remaining five were in late fall; in
both cases, when warm water was not a threat to the fishery.

Although we certainly take issue with both some of the proposed aspects of
the flow studies that are to be undertaken, and assuredly with the
potential
impact the new PPL releases will have on the fishery, the focus for the
Friends of the Upper Delaware River must clearly be addressing New York
City's DEP. The DEP is the sovereign agency actually controlling the
releases and, accordingly, it is the agency we hope to encourage into
positive discussions and constructive changes.

Toward that end, our positions are clear and concise: To protect both the
wild trout and the cold water ecosystem, we seek a guaranteed 600 cfs
release, from the Cannonsville Reservoir, from May 15 to September 15th.
Here we would also point out that this rate of release not only protects
the
fishery, it readily accommodates both wade and drift boat fishermen and in
so doing protects local fishing related economies. During the less
critical
winter months, from September 16th to May 14th, we seek a guaranteed flow
of
300 cfs; adequate for preventing anchor ice and similar threatening
problems. To prevent abrupt and dangerous changes in release rates, we
maintain that the transition times of these changes must be 'ramped' or
gradually changed. We seek a guarantee that the water temperature from
Cannonsville downstream to Lordville, not exceed 70 degrees at any time.
We
maintain that the new flows being released from the PPL power generating
plant on Lake Wallenpaupack, should not be counted towards the Supreme
Court
mandate at Montague. We maintain that, to prevent silt build up, the
Cannonsville releases be augmented with releases from the East Branch when
Cannonsville levels drop below thirty percent. Similarly, we call for the
locating and correcting of silt entering the West Branch and the upper
main
stem from feeder streams. We call for the development of a mutually agreed
to plan for proportional water release reductions during periods of
declared
drought. We maintain that during periods of high water or air
temperatures,
spillage be offset with equal amounts of cold water releases. And finally,
we maintain that current suggestions to remanage the waters described
above
be abandoned and, moreover, these waters safeguarded with guaranteed
consistent releases.

As one of the Congressmen with whom the Friends already met pointed out,
to
challenge New York City, is to take on the proverbial 800-pound gorilla.
Perhaps, but this is nonetheless an engagement we feel we must undertake.
We
are asking for, and would very genuinely appreciate, your endorsement and
your support.

Sincerely,
Craig Findley, President, (315) 656-8313,
Lee Hartman, Vice President, (215) 679-5022,

"Bob Sheedy" wrote in message
...

snip

...evryone wants conservation but having been heavily involved in it, I've
discovered that most want someone else to do it.

Uh huh. Take bandwidth, for example.

Wolfgang

Bob Sheedy wrote:

Excellent Post and one very worthy of appearing on ROFF. ...

OK, let's ignore for a moment how dumb it is to repost that whole
damn press release just so you could top post 4 lines of cheery
triteness and consider the issues. A phoney baloney cold water
fishery has been created accidentally and incidentally to providing
the largest metropolitan area in North America with water and a
bunch of folks are uspet because that takes a higher priority than
fishing ? Excuse me, but don't you think that's just a little bit
skewed ? Hey ! Leave that water alone, I want to play in it !!

--
Ken Fortenberry