Enhancing Multi-jurisdictional Use and Management of Water Resources for the Delaware River Basin, NY, NJ, PA, and DE December 2008 Milford Montague Prepared by: USACE Philadelphia District 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Multi-jurisdictional Use and Management of Water Resources for the Delaware River Basin, NY, PA, NJ and DE TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 10-13 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Study Purpose . ..14 1.2 Study Authority. .14 1.3 Stakeholder Involvement. 14-15 1.4 Study Proposal. 15-16 1.5 Managing Water Resources in the Basin. ..16-17 1.6 Evolution of Objectives. .18 1.7 Study Area . 19-20 2.0 LONG TERM SUFFICIENCY OF WATER SUPPLY THROUGH 2030. ..21-22 2.1 Water Availability Analysis. .22 2.1.1 Basin Delineation. 22-30 2.1.2 Ground Water Availability. 31-36 2.1.3 Surface Water Availability. 37-40 2.1.4 Affects of Climate Variability. .41-42 2.2 Water Demand. 43 2.2.1 Existing Conditions. .43 2.2.2 Forecasting Future Demand . 43-45 2.2.2.1 Methodology Used For Watershed Analysis . 45 2.2.2.1.1 Population Growth. 45-47 2.2.2.1.2 Water Conservation. 48 2.2.3 Results of Water Demand Forecasting and Availability Analysis 49-54 2.2.4 Sensitivity Analysis. 55 2.2.5 Summary of Total Withdrawals and Consumptive Use by Watershed 55-57 2.2.6 River Analysis for Surface Water Withdrawals. 58-59 2.3 Calculating Water Supply Deficits. .60 2.3.1 Water Supply Deficits in Watersheds Identified for Further Study 60-66 2.3.2 Calculating Water Deficiencies for the Delaware, Schuylkill and Lehigh Rivers 67-69 2.3.2.1 Deficiencies in the Year 2003 . 70-78 2.3.2.2 Deficiencies in the Year 2030. 79-85 2.3.2.3 Deficiencies Under Drought Conditions. 86-94 2.4 Potential Alternatives for Water Supply. 95 2.4.1 Expand Supply Alternatives . 95 2.4.1.1 Aquifer Storage and Recovery . .95 2 2.4.1.2 Expansion of Municipal Systems . .95 2.4.1.3 Reuse of Waste and Storm Water . 95 2.4.1.4 Mine Reclamation . .96 2.4.1.5 Desalination . 96 2.4.1.6 Delaware River Diversion . 96-97 2.4.1.7 Reservoir Storage in the Delaware River Basin . 98-104 2.4.1.8 Reservoir Storage in the Schuylkill River Basin . 105 2.4.1.8.1 Maiden Creek . 106-107 2.4.1.8.2 French Creek . .108 2.4.1.8.3 Evansburg . 108-111 2.4.2 Curtail Demand Alternatives . .. 112 2.4.2.1 Improved Water Accountability with Reduced Infrastructure . 112-114 2.4.2.2. Additional Conservation. 114 2.4.2.3 Change Water Allocations/New Regulations. ..115 2.4.2.4 Improved Irrigation Techniques. 115 2.5 Conclusions and Recommendations . 115-116 3.0 FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT.. 117-118 3.1 Discharge Frequency Analysis . .. 118-125 3.2 Skew Analysis . 126-129 3.3 Identification of Priority Communities . .129-136 3.4 Structure Inventory for 10 Priority Communities . ..137-140 3.5 Solution Matrix for 10 Priority Communities . 140-153 3.6 Flood Risk Management Recommendations . .. 154 3.6.1 Flood Warning/Forecasting Tool for Delaware River Basin. .154 3.6.2 Flood Risk Management Feasibility Studies for Priority Communities. .. 154 3.6.3 Detailed Feasibility Studies for Additional Flood Prone Communities. .. 154 4.0 ESTUARY INFLOW EVALUATION . .155 5.0 RE-EVALUATE APPROACH TO USER SUPPLY COSTS TO SUPPORT FLOW MANAGEMENT AND EQUITABLE ALLOCATION GOALS. 156 5.1 Financing Water Supply Storage. .156 5.2 Determining Water Supply Costs through 2030. 156 5.2.1 Estimated Annual Operation, Maintenance and Administrative Costs 156-157 5.2.2 Estimated Major Repair/Upgrade Costs. 158-160 5.2.3 Projected Costs t Meet Increased Demand. 160-162 5.3 Debt Repayment . 162 5.4 Alternative Charge Schedules . .. .162 5.5 Determining Need to update Surface Water Rates for Basin Users . .162 6.0 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION. 164 7.0 CONTINUATION OF EFFORTS . 164-165 3 Appendix A Water Supply Appendix B Flood Risk Management Appendix C Estuary Inflow Evaluation Appendix D User Supply Fees 4 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Summary of Watershed Scale Characteristics. .25 Table 2.2 Basin Identification . 27-30 Table 2.3 Ground-Water Availability. .33-36 Table 2.4 Major Reservoirs in the Delaware River Basin. 40 Table 2.5 Summary of Data Requirements and Key Water Demand Drivers for Each Water Use Sector. ..46-47 Table 2.6 Water Conservation Assumptions by Sector. .49 Table 2.7 Current and Future Water use, Aggregated to the Watershed Scale (Annual MGD) . 56 Table 2.8 Current and Future Water use, Aggregated to the Watershed Scale (Peak MGD)/July. .57 Table 2.9 Withdrawals at Identified Surface Water Deficient Basins . 63 Table 2.10 Withdrawals at Identified Ground Water Deficient Basins. 63 Table 2.11 Combined SW and GW Deficits at Various %Reductions in Supply . 64 Table 2.12 Delaware River Year 2003 Water Supply Conditions. 71-72 Table 2.13 Schuylkill River Year 2003 Water Supply Conditions .. .73 Table 2.14 Lehigh River Year 2003 Water Supply Conditions. 74 Table 2.15 Delaware River Year 2030 Projected Water Supply Conditions . ..80-81 Table 2.16 Schuylkill River Year 2030 Projected Water Supply Conditions. 82 Table 2.17 Lehigh River Year 2030 Water Supply Conditions. .83 Table 2.18 Delaware River Q710 with Reductions. .87 Table 2.19 Schuylkill River Q710 with Reductions. ..88 Table 2.20 Lehigh River Q710 with Reductions. .88 Table 2.21 Water Supply Conditions on the Delaware River when Q710 Reduced by 50%. .89-90 Table 2.22 Water Supply Conditions on the Schuylkill River when Q710 Reduced by 50%. 91 Table 2.23 Water Supply Conditions on the Lehigh River when Q710 Reduced by 50%. 92 Table 2.24 Delaware River Water Supply Conditions in 2030 with Priority Watersheds Incorporated. .99-101 Table 2.25 Reductions in Available Water for Delaware River with Priority Watersheds Incorporated . .102-104 Table 2.26 Reservoir Yields. .109 Table 2.27 50% Reduction in Available Water for Schuylkill River with Potential Reservoir Projects Incorporated. 110-111 Table 2.28 Range of Potential Savings from Addressing Water Loss Issues Within PWS. 114 Table 3.1 Updated Delaware River Gaging Stations . 119 Table 3.2 Reservoirs Simulation in Rainfall-Runoff Models. .121 Table 3.3 Adopted Discharge Frequency Values for Delaware River . 123 Table 3.4 Comparison of Adopted Flood Frequency Against 1984 Flood Frequency 124 5 Table 3.5 Peak Discharge from Historical and Record Flood Events on the Delaware River.. 125 Table 3.6 Repetitive Loss Rankings By Basin. .131 Table 3.7 Severely Repetitive Loss Rankings By Basin. 132 Table 3.8 Repetitive & Severe Repetitive Loss Claims. .135 Table 3.9 Summary of Structure Inventory. ..