Water Census Progress: DRB Focus Area

Perspective

Bob TudorDeputy 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

• Water supply for over 15 million people

• Four states + NYC - Supreme Court Decree 1931/1954

• DRBC 1961• Keep the flow up to keep the salt front

down.• Decree Party Reservoir Release

Program Ecological water needs Flood mitigation Flow targets

Water Supply

Photos Courtesy NYC DEP

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-MONTHLOCATION

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

MONTH

Water Supply Intakes RM 110

• Exceptional water quality

• High ecological diversity

• ~75% of the non-tidal river is part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System

Upper & Middle in 1978

Lower in 2000

DRBC’s Charge• Manage water resources w/out regard for political

boundaries

• Regulate water quantity (equitably allocate, maintain streamflow) and water quality

• Plan (e.g., Basin Plan 2004; Periodic State of the Basin Reports 2008/2013)

• Coordinate between federal, state & local governments and private entities w/ role in managing water resources

• Educate the Basin community about water resources

Sustainable Water Resources – 2060 Will DRB Have Enough Water ?

• 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

Focused Water Availability Assessments

State, Local, RegionalStakeholder Involvement

Surface Water Trends, Precipitation, etc

Defined Technical Questions tobe Answered

Eco Flows

Water Use

Water Quality GroundwaterResources

Global Change

Goals of the Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study

• Acquisition, management, and integration of improved water-use and water-supply data

• Development of a hydrologic watershed model to evaluate water stressors such as population growth, land-use change, and climate variability on water resources in the basin.

• Development of ecological-flow science Enhancement of the existing Decision Support System for

parts of the main-stem Delaware River Defining relations between streamflow processes and

aquatic assemblage responses in tributaries.

Water Use: Aggregated Withdrawal Estimates

• By 12-digit subbasin• Annual average (not monthly or

seasonal)• Surface water and groundwater• Based on category

Self-supplied domestic IrrigationLivestockAquacultureMining 12-digit subbasins

Acquisition

WATER – A decision support tool

1-Jan

11-Ja

n21

-Jan

31-Ja

n10

-Feb

20-Feb

2-Mar

12-M

ar22

-Mar

1-Ap

r11

-Apr

21-Apr

1-May

11-M

ay21

-May

31-M

ay10

-Jun

20-Ju

n30

-Jun

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2003

Dis

char

ge (

mm

)

Precipitation (mm

)

Precipitation Record or Forecast

Hydrograph

Potential ClimateChange

Water Availability

Long-term Flow Record

Current ConditionsUngaged Streams

Current ConditionGaged Streams

LandscapeCharacterization

Land Management

and Water Allocation

Reservoirs and Routing

Initial work focusing on basin areas upstream of reservoirs. Eventually:• WATER export to OASIS

• Use OASIS decision points for routing of basins

Water Use Coordination and Integration

• Models – Data delivery• USGS GIS group• Data warehouse• StreamStats

EcologicalWater

Integration

Objectives for the Water Census:

To place technical information and tools in the hands of managers and stakeholders, allowing them to answer two primary questions about water availability:

Does the Nation have enough freshwater to meet both human and ecological needs?

Will this water be present to meet future needs?