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Page 1: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Planning for the Future of theDelaware River Basin

Carol R. Collier, AICP

Executive Director

Delaware River Basin Commission

Page 2: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

2006 Land Use/Land CoverNOAA CSC

DEVEL 15%

AG 26%

FOREST

6,288 mi2

49%

WETLANDS8%

WATER2%

BARREN <1%

DEVEL1%

AG 13%

FOREST

2,778 mi2

81%

WETLANDS3%

WATER2%

BARREN

BASIN

UPPER REGION

DEVEL10%

AG24%

FOREST1925 mi2

58%

WETLANDS6%

WATER2%

BARREN

CENTRAL REGION

Page 3: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Outstanding Regional Resource

Exceptional water quality

Exceptional source water

Ecological diversity ~75% of non-tidal

river part of National Wild and Scenic Rivers System

100% of non-tidal river is Special Protection Waters

Page 4: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Delaware River Watershed Facts Over 15 million people

(about 5% of the U.S. population) rely on the waters of the basin

Drains 13,539 mi² , or 0.4 of 1% of the continental U.S. land area

Longest undammed river east of the Mississippi

Daily water withdrawal in the DRB = 8.7 BGD

1

5

Page 5: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Head of Tide

Page 6: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Delaware River Port Complex – Largest Fresh Water Port

Page 7: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

1960’s Maximum

Salt Line (250 mg/l, 7 day avg)

Normal R.M. 77

Data for determination provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and Kimberly Clark Corp.

AVG. MID-MONTH

LOCATION

J an 68Feb 68Mar 67Apr 61May 64J un 67J ul 72Aug 77Sep 79Oct 81Nov 80Dec 74

MONTH

Water Supply Intakes RM 110

Page 8: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Holistic Basin Management Is A Necessity!

There is not enough water for all uses during drought conditions

Water needed for other uses – Navigation, ecological flows, recreation,

wastewater assimilative capacity More Complex – boundary of four states

Page 9: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Interconnected Water Resources

Page 10: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Fish Consumption Advisories

Page 11: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

“It is the policy of the Commission that there be no measurable change to existing water quality except towards natural conditions …”

DRBC Special Protection Waters Program

Page 12: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Federal Wild and Scenic River Designation – ¾ of non-tidal river

Total non-tidal river and its watershed designated DRBC Special Protection Waters

Mainstem = longest stretch of anti-degradation waters in U.S.

No measurable change in water quality

Water Quality

Page 13: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Headwaters are the most sensitive areas of a watershed

Existing contiguous forest is critical to water quantity and quality

Philadelphia Source Water Protection Analysis

#1 – Change in Delaware River Headwaters

Vulnerability of Headwaters

15 M

illion

People

Page 14: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Aerial view of a Marcellus Shale well site near Waynesburg, Pa. (MICHAEL BRYANT / Phila. Inquirer Photographer )

Page 15: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Sea Level RiseMore Intense StormsSummer Droughts

Issues knocking on our door

Page 16: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Rutgers – Office of State Climatologist

Page 17: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Flood Mitigation

Page 18: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission
Page 19: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Regional Changes—Northeast/Mid-Atlantic U.S.

In the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic U.S., sea level is rising much faster than the global average, most likely due to local land subsidence.

Inferred subsidence rates are -0.6 to 2.7 mm yr-1.

Over the 21st Century, this is an additional sea-level rise of -6 to 27 cm.

Northeast US Sea level trends, 1950-1999(mm/yr)

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00

Eastport, ME

Bar Harbor, ME

Portland, ME

Boston, MA

Woods Hole, MA

Newport, RI

Providence, RI

New London, CT

Montauk, NY

Willets Point, NY

The Battery, NY

Sandy Hook, NJ

Atlantic City, NJ

Philadelphia, PA

Lewes, DE

Baltimore, MD

Annapolis, MD

Solomons Island, MD

Washington, DC

Gloucester Point, VA

Sewells Point, VA

Global average Sources: Zervas (2001), Church et al. (2004)

Source – Ray Najjar

Page 20: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Water-level change at Philadelphia

Source: NOAA (2011)

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Page 21: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

1960’s Maximum

Salt Line (250 mg/l, 7 day avg)

Normal R.M. 77

Data for determination provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and Kimberly Clark Corp.

AVG. MID-MONTH

LOCATION

J an 68Feb 68Mar 67Apr 61May 64J un 67J ul 72Aug 77Sep 79Oct 81Nov 80Dec 74

MONTH

Water Supply Intakes RM 110

Page 22: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Water Intakes at Risk from Drought and Sea Level Rise:location of the salt line at high tide during drought

Power• Exelon Delaware

Generating Station• Exelon Richmond

Generating Station• Philadelphia Gas

Works Richmond

Industrial• Koch Material Co.• NGC Industries• Rohm and Haas

Philadelphia• MacAndrew and

Forbes Co.• Pennwalt Corporation• Sunoco

Public Supply• Torresdale Water

Intake (provides • almost 60% of

Philadelphia’s water supply)

• New Jersey American Water Co. Tri-County Water Treatment Plant

Page 23: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Will We Have Enough Water?

More water needed to control salt line Existing reservoirs will not be as effective

with intense storms. Green and grey infrastructure solutions

DRBC Strategy for Sustainable Water Resources – 2060 Develop resiliency Shot-term; long-term

Page 24: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Sustainable Water Resources - 2060

Population – Change and Location Energy Generation – Water Footprint Ecological Flows Natural Gas Development? Point and Non-Point Pollution Climate Change

Sea level rise, intense storms, droughts

Page 25: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Needs

Need to look holistically – Water system Geography Stakeholders

Upstream Impacts on Downstream Downstream needs driving upstream mgt. Basin-wide Solutions Plan Basin-wide; Implement locally

Page 26: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

We need your help to manage the resource www.DRBC.net

Page 27: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission
Page 28: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

Key Issues

Water Quality PCBs, nutrients and emergent contaminants Keeping the Clean Water Clean

Water for Energy Natural Gas Development Climate Change

Sea level rise Floods and droughts

Page 29: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

POTENTIAL IMPACTS

Salinity – Major Water Supplies – Trenton Flood Mitigation – Reservoir Storage Land Use Changes in Headwaters

Loss of forests, increased impervious Water Quality Degradation

Big Changes in Water Management Needed Place-based assessment and solutions IWRM

Page 30: Planning for the Future by Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission

How to Proceed With Minimal Funds Benefit of good data sets Working with Federal Agencies

USGS – Water Census Pilot• Ecological Flows• Water Use Updates – 2010 data, energy sector• WATERS Model – Scenario testing

NOAA – IWRSS• Mid-Atlantic Basins Pilot

USACE• Salinity – Flow Model• State Collaborative – Proof of Concept