Call to release water panned as not enough.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008 - By DOUGLAS B. BRILL - The Express-Times

Some river watchers say Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell hasn't paid enough attention to New York City reservoirs. Other river watchers said the governor has paid too much attention already.
Rendell, who is chairman of the Delaware River Basin Commission, asked the commission last week to release water from New York City reservoirs to make sure they don't contribute to flooding during a rainy April.

It is unclear what effect the Pepacton, Cannonsville and Neversink reservoirs have on flooding downstream. But they are frequently filled or overflowing. Each was overflowing Friday, according to the most recent commission statistics.

Rendell's call to release the water met criticism.

The Delaware Riverside Conservancy was "certainly pleased that the governor has finally recognized what we've been saying for a very long time, that the reservoirs contribute to flooding. It's a good first step," said Jeff Russo, the conservancy's attorney.

"But unless there is a permanent void so that the reservoirs do not become uncontrollable, it's difficult to achieve any kind of true flood mitigation," he said.

The conservancy has pushed for permanent 20 percent voids at the reservoirs.

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network criticized Rendell for focusing on the reservoirs while, it believes, other factors are to blame for flood damage. Maya VanRossum, a spokeswoman for the network, said the reservoir levels are "a political red herring" that distracts from causes for flood damage.

"No matter what you do with the reservoirs, there's going to be catastrophic flood damage. What will prevent future damages is moving people out of the way," VanRossum said. The network, she said, wants fewer people and buildings in areas prone to floods.

Lafayette College hydrologist Roger Ruggles said releasing water from the reservoirs would help slow flooding but not entirely stop it. A study he wrote for the conservancy suggested voids at the reservoirs could make water levels downstream drop several feet.

"You can't eliminate all flooding but you can take steps to mitigate the problem. This (Rendell's call) would definitely be a step to mitigate that," Ruggles said. "There are potential control measures that are available, and with all the damage that has occurred, I think we should take opportunities to use them."