Article from Pocono Record
June 29, 2007

Fed-up flood victims don't buy government plan
Dan Berrett
Pocono Record Writer
June 29, 2007

HARRISBURG — Residents and stewards of the Delaware River sparred over the role of New York's reservoirs in the three recent major floods that devastated the river basin in less than two years.

"Spilling reservoirs cause millions of dollars of additional damage to homes and businesses that would have been spared had they not spilled and instead contained voids," said Diane Tharp, Shawnee-on-Delaware resident whose home has been damaged three times.

She and several local officials testified during a Thursday morning session of the state House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee held in the Capitol building.

"I know it's a very important issue for the Poconos," said Rep. Ron Miller, R-93, before the hearing began.
"Certainly, it's been a problem in my area," said Rep. John Siptroth, D-189, a member of the committee.
Underscoring his point, Reps. Mario Scavello, R-176, and Michael Peifer, R-139, also attended the session, though they do not serve on the committee.

Gov. Ed Rendell's administration touted a set of mostly incremental steps to reduce the impact of floods or move residents out of harm's way: $2.2 million in new money for storm water and flood planning, an inter-agency task force, and buyouts, flood proofing and stream and wetland improvements.

"Gov. Rendell has made flood mitigation and response an administration priority for 2007-08," said Cathleen Curran Myers, deputy secretary for the Office of Water Management in the Department of Environmental Protection.

She added that Pennsylvania's hilly topography, many streams and amount of rainfall tied it with North Carolina as the nation's most flood-prone states.

That's precisely why these efforts are far too cautious for flood-weary residents and local officials.

Many of them see three upriver reservoirs in New York state as playing a key role in the September 2004, April 2005 and June 2006 floods.

These storage reservoirs sit on the headwaters of the Delaware River in the Catskills. The three — the Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink — supply water to New York City residents. During low rainfalls, they also provide water for areas south of the Delaware Water Gap.

The three were also full or overflowing with water before each of the three rainfalls that pelted the area during recent flooding.

"As the rains continued, water began to overflow and spill over the dam spillways, much like an overflowing bathtub," Myers said.

"As a result, some flood victims erroneously concluded that the reservoirs caused the flooding," Myers continued. "And that absent reservoir spills, their homes and businesses could be spared inundation in the future."

She added that even full reservoirs have the effect of slowing the rate of flow downstream. In April 2005, the spilling Neversink took the rate of water flowing in and halved it when it was spilling out.

Tharp rebutted this during her testimony. "If you have a hole in your roof, you don't really care that there were 10 inches of rain that fell on your roof," she said. "Instead, you care that there are five inches of water in your living room."

It was not a matter of how much the reservoirs might have held back in past events, but how much more they possibly could hold back if managed differently.

"I think that everyone agrees that when the reservoirs contain voids, rainfall is obviously retained and the river and stream levels are also much reduced," Tharp said.

The debate about the reservoirs takes place as the Delaware River Basin Commission, the four-state body that oversees the river, revises its Flexible Flow Management Program.That program is a working document meant to balance competing interests on the river: drought protection and water supply, fish habitats (the cold water from the bottom of the rivers are healthy for fish) and, increasingly, flood protection.
"Is reduction of the water levels an option?" Scavello asked, regarding the plan's revision."Oh, yes," Myers said.  But she stressed that reservoirs are only part of the picture. "We can't control the water with just these reservoirs," she said. "It's not an easy solution."

And the causes of the recent floods are likely to be complicated. "Nobody knows why," she said. "Is this just the flip of the coin?"

A $1 million report on managing the river, commissioned by the federal government, is due to be issued next week. Another $500,000 grant is paying for a computer model to better understand how the river interacts with runoff and flash floods from streams and tributaries.  "We have to do this with good tools and engineering," Myers said.

For Tharp and mayors Walter Conway of Delaware Water Gap and Kay Bucci of Portland, lowering the reservoirs is a good first step — and needed now. Tharp noted that three years of public outcry, interim plans and task forces, comments from the public and political efforts had produced no changes in policy. In other words, the conditions are again in exactly the same place for yet another flood after 6 to 8 inches of rainfall.
"What will happen differently today than before each of the last three floods?" Tharp asked. "Absolutely nothing."

EXPERTS VS. RESIDENTS

In the battle over New York's reservoirs, the Delaware River Basin Commission has argued that the impact of the reservoirs has been either positive or negligible. But residents remain skeptical.

DRBC: Seven out of the last 10 major floods happened when there was no spilling from reservoirs.

Residents: This statistic ignores some crucial factors. First, the reservoirs were not even in existence for most of those floods. Most occurred when huge rainfall, accompanied by hurricanes, pelted the area. The three most recent floods took place when the reservoirs were full and spilling — and when much lower rainfall occurred. The reverse is also true. In Oct. 2005, heavy rains met with low reservoir levels. The result? No flood. "I teach my students, when you compare events, you must record all the variables," Diane Tharp said.

DRBC: Even when full reservoirs affect river flow downstream by inches, not feet.

Residents: That's up for debate. Tharp cited two hydrologists whose calculations say full reservoirs could add up to six feet to the crest of the river when compared to the reservoirs being 80 percent full.

DRBC: Tributaries and rivers along the Delaware swell during rain events, which worsen the main stem's flooding.

Residents: Delaware Water Gap Mayor Walter Conway said that Cherry Creek in his town swelled and then ebbed before the Delaware's waters flooded the area and devastated the business district.