water census progress: drb focus area perspective
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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?
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