Mixed Reaction to Resevoir Release
April 17, 2008

Hoping to reduce flood worries for those who live and work along the Delaware River, Gov. Ed Rendell announced Wednesday that an agreement to release billions of gallons of water from several New York reservoirs has been reached._The governor's office said the agreement - initiated by Rendell and ironed out among the governors of New Jersey, Delaware, New York and New York City officials - clears the way for up to 8 billion gallons to be released this month, a one-time only event. The reservoirs, all in New York state, include Neversink, Pepacton and Cannonsville, all of which flow into the Delaware.

But the announcement did little to calm flooding fears and angered others who said it was nothing more than "political gamesmanship.

"We're still sitting ducks," said Gail Pedrick, a New Hope resident slammed by flooding and a founder of the Delaware Riverside Conservancy, a group working for better flood control measures.

An 8 billion gallon release is "next to nothing," she said. "It's too small to create any real void." Pedrick pointed to the 109 billion gallons released from the reservoirs during the June 2006 flood.

A strong advocate of cutting the reservoirs capacity, Pedrick said the governor's plan falls far short of what's needed and provides only "a false sense of security for today."

Not so, said Marcus Kohl, with Pennsylvania's department of environmental protection, who defended the agreement.

"This safely provides for flood mitigation and gives us the means to adequately protect the drinking water supply," he said. The reservoirs provide New York City's main source of drinking water.

The releases will occur when the reservoirs reach 97 percent or greater capacity. This week, each of the reservoirs exceeded 99 percent capacity. With early spring rains filling the reservoirs, officials felt it was safe to allow the releases without threatening the water supply.

Reducing the capacity of the reservoirs is an idea first suggested by the Bucks County flood victims ravaged by three floods in less than two years, costing millions of dollars in damage.

They have pushed for permanent lowering of the reservoirs to 80 percent capacity, allowing them to capture rain water before the reservoirs dump overflow into an already swollen river.

Others have said the reservoirs play little or no role in the river's flooding and criticized Rendell's plan as disingenuous._Maya van Rossum, a Delaware Riverkeeper with an organization of the same name that advocates "defending the river," said the move is an effort "to curry political favor."

Furthermore, stressing the importance of a reservoir release detracts from the true needs of flood victims, she said._"All of the energy that's been mobilized around flood plain protection, restoration and voluntary buy-outs has been diminished."Actions like this, said van Rossum, ensure flood damage will continue, leaving residents and business owners the option of rebuilding in the flood plain._The massive New York reservoirs have been the source of controversy for decades. Officials there have long argued that water supply must be protected and kept at levels that provide for drought conditions.

Striking a balance between the competing demands of the reservoirs has been a difficult struggle for decades.

Freda R. Savana can be reached at 215-345-3061 or fsavana@phillyBurbs.com.