Editors note: I don't recall any lowering of the reservoirs in February prior to the repair. I recall 100%.How about some more research Governor!

Keeping H20 in Balance
Flood prevention must be weighed with the need for drinking water.
March 24, 2008 By Edward G. Rendell

The issue of how to control flooding along the Delaware River is a difficult one made all the more complex because of the potential for unintended consequences. That is why I, along with the other Delaware basin governors, have worked to develop and research measures that balance the need for flood protection against our need for a reliable supply of drinking water.

For instance, for the first time in the 75-year history of the basin, operations of the New York City reservoirs today take into account flood mitigation needs. New interim measures were instituted in September by the parties to the U.S. Supreme Court decree that apportions the Delaware's water among the states and city (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and New York City).

New York City's reservoirs are now being managed to release water in order to produce storage space for floodwater; the reservoir's operational rules now create flood storage in all seasons of the year whenever storage is above normal. This flexible flow management system recently enabled us to immediately call for New York's maintenance shutdown of its aqueduct in February by releasing more water from the reservoirs to keep the storage down while New York City was not diverting water.

Pennsylvanians need me to keep these reservoirs full and empty at the same time. If you understand the facts, you should want me to keep the reservoirs full to protect your drinking water in Philadelphia and Bucks Counties, unless, of course, you live in Yardley or other flood-prone areas devastated in the "triple whammy" - three floods along the Delaware between 2004 and 2006, still vivid in our memories.

The Philadelphia Water Department advises me that nearly half of the water flowing through the main drinking water intake in the river in a dry August comes from Pennsylvania's share of the water stored in those New York City reservoirs. The release of reservoir water at low flow also pushes salt water back toward the Delaware Bay. I cannot act in a way that would threaten Philadelphia's drinking water supply in order to reduce flooding.

Even those who estimate the potential flood relief the reservoirs might produce admit it is uncertain whether not filling the reservoirs reduces flood crests by a few inches or a few feet. The answer to this matters greatly, as we should not trade drinking water security for inconsequential flood crest reductions. A massive hydrologic model being built for the entire basin and all of its reservoirs will provide solid answers to these crucial questions. It is hard to wait for the engineering answers to these urgent issues, but it's too dangerous not to wait.

In the meantime, we are moving forward to pursue other potential opportunities for flood relief from reservoir operations. We are meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers to determine whether additional potential for flood protection can be squeezed from lower basin reservoirs, such as F.E. Walter, Wallenpaupack and Nockamixon. Last week, the Delaware River Basin Commission directed staff to draft a bid document to begin the complete reassessment of the New York City reservoir operations, including capability to produce flood voids and considering different operating rules based upon actual seasonal demand instead of authorized use.
Perhaps most important, storing more water in the New York headwaters, even if possible, is not the only or even the principal means to prevent flooding at the bottom of the watershed in Bucks County and Philadelphia. We are aggressively pursuing the key flood-mitigation priorities identified by the Delaware River Flood Task Force in 2007: tough stormwater management requirements to infiltrate water and lessen runoff; moving structures out of the floodway and keeping them out with strong local regulations; implementing nonstructural alternatives, such as buffers and stream restoration or structural flood projects; updating floodplain mapping; and improving flood warning and coordination.

My 2008-09 budget initiative would more than double our output of flood control assistance to local municipalities.

The National Weather Service confirms that we are in a period of extreme weather, and can expect more droughts and more floods. As governor, I am preparing Pennsylvania to be ready to deal with both contingencies. I have dedicated increased resources for flood protection in each of my budgets since these devastating floods and will continue to make flood relief a priority in my administration.
Edward G. Rendell is governor of Pennsylvania.