Planning for the Future of theDelaware River Basin
Carol R. Collier, AICP
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
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
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
Head of Tide
Delaware River Port Complex – Largest Fresh Water Port
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
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
Interconnected Water Resources
Fish Consumption Advisories
“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
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
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
Aerial view of a Marcellus Shale well site near Waynesburg, Pa. (MICHAEL BRYANT / Phila. Inquirer Photographer )
Sea Level RiseMore Intense StormsSummer Droughts
Issues knocking on our door
Rutgers – Office of State Climatologist
Flood Mitigation
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
Water-level change at Philadelphia
Source: NOAA (2011)
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
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
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
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
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
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
We need your help to manage the resource www.DRBC.net
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
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
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