New development / good news for the Lehigh River

WW Rafting is a legit recreational sport and their wants and desires are to be considered, but the point I made above was WWR releases depletes a whole lotta water. This water can be saved and used to supplement the flows in the D during the dry season to help keep the salt line below the intakes in NE Phila.
 
Les, were they willing to move all those releases they do on the weekends in the prime spring fishing season to mid week, lol
 
The DCNR also get a cut from each rafting customer that floats down thru the Gorge. The whole thing is complicated.
 
The previous study that developed the flow model which figured out a way to maintain coldwater releases looked at tower modifications that would result in sustaining the coldwater pool. I was on a conference call with ACOE model developers and it was discussed having larger portals higher up in the tower to discharge warmer surface water during high flows (WW and Flood Control) and mixing it with lower cold water. Thus not depleting the deeper colder water in the reservoir.

It can be engineered, its just a matter of getting the management right.
 
The recreational releases of course benefit the people paying for the opportunity to float the river, if no one was interested in that use of the river then there would be no rafting business. I thought that they did a study for mixed level releases and nixed it due to cost, as time goes by it’s only going to cost more.
 
Anything is better than nothing.
I think a study is wonderful.
 
I thought that they did a study for mixed level releases and nixed it due to cost, as time goes by it’s only going to cost more.
Click to expand...

Nope. mixed level releases are all on the table. Costs - yes correct. But have you even seen the ACOE's budget? This project would be a drop in the bucket.
 
Here is info from the ACOE FEW site >

https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Francis-E-Walter-Dam/Reevaluation-Study/fbclid/IwAR3XkeU4rWfIOJmvnAcIrnxT2cHy8qz7aE-YoqCnudoZp4ji4t00UOHiTs4/

The fact that the New York City DEP is partially funding this study makes me believe they have an interest in the Lehigh River being able to contribute more water to the Delaware giving them more latitude to restrict flows from Cannonsville and Pepacton.
 
Or it gives NYC more flexibility to release water for the fishery and would get the local advocacy groups off their backs. Maybe? One never knows with NYC because they are never open and honest when at the negotiating table which brings a big level of distrust.
 
But they wont, even when they have flexibility they dont release water, they hoard it.

NYC should take whatever they are spending on a study and save it to build a plant on the Hudson to get their water from. The LAST thing we need is to give control of any more of PA's rivers to crooked self interested NYC. NYC would wipe out the wild trout on the D in a second if it served their interests and not think twice about it. Keep them as far away from the Lehigh as possible!
 
The delaware river originates in NY. Not sure why you think its PA's river. The NYDEC is a positive agency as far as the delaware river (i think at least). The nycdep, not so much.

As far as the upper delaware, I think it is managed better in NY than PA.
 
moon1284 wrote:
The delaware river originates in NY. Not sure why you think its PA's river. The NYDEC is a positive agency as far as the delaware river (i think at least). The nycdep, not so much.

As far as the upper delaware, I think it is managed better in NY than PA.
Click to expand...

We are.....Pee-yeh!! 😛
 
Public Meeting scheduled to discuss study of the Lehigh River / FEW Dam >

https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/2037283/army-corps-and-partners-to-host-public-meeting-for-francis-e-walter-dam-re-eval/fbclid/IwAR0cQNCo6Bgrjkfe51DJDwJGV-OrrqcUkBqZgnvTRVk2ANmOu0BdqbqpaJY/

 
Another article about the the Lehigh River study and the New York City money used to fund it. >

https://www.tnonline.com/carbon-businesses-prepare-fight-over-water-use?fbclid=IwAR2P9vTw-0wuulTeVuaxXeDzY6hDvx-JBm69VmcoZHGty9d7B1eSblCjWFo
 
That article is remeniscent of the water wars occuring in the western states. If NYC wants to put money up for the study that is a good thing as that is what is needed at this point . Provided the study is conducted in an impartial manner without undue outside interference, that is a big step toward the short term goal.

After the study, management of the water will be a political battle--there, NYC money will be a significant factor that may not have the resources best interest in mind as we see it.
 
What I find interesting is that only the rafting companies are questioning the NYC involvement in the study.
 
Objectively, NYC needs water. The more they can keep in Cannonsville and Pepacton the better. If they can get Beltsville and FEW to utilize their outflows to keep saltwater out of Phila, they are happy campers.

On the surface you would think that rafting co's and NYC would be on the same team IRT releases. I assume they would be concerned about salt water infringement releases during the week and/or consistent release flows , thus not having sufficient capacity or need for the blowout weekend flows they so dearly love.
 
One side of me wants to panic about NYC getting involved and the faucets being shut off to the upper D....... But the other half of me says, "don't worry they still have to meet the flow minimum at the Montague gauge".......right?
 
The backstory to all of this can be found here:

https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Portals/39/docs/History/ch02.pdf

See pages 83-91 The Army Corps almost moved forward with replacing the tower and raising the dam 30' but cancelled the project due to congress pulling finding in 1991.

This study now has the opportunity to bring those options back to the table for funding, but with DRBC looking to get a stake in this, I'd say we proceed with cautious opportunism.
 
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