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Protecting Our Water Resources Partnerships and Innovation

Carol R. Collier, P.P., AICP

Executive DirectorDelaware River Basin Commission

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Delaware RiverWatershed

Facts

Over 15 million people(about 5% of the U.S.population) rely on thewaters of the basin

Drains 13,539 mi , or 0.4

of 1% of the continentalU.S. land area

Daily water withdrawal inthe DRB = 8.7 BGD

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Delaware River Port Complex Largest Fresh Water Port

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Delaware River

Longest Undammed River

East of the Mississippi

330 miles

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The Need forBasin-ScalePlanning

4 States

25 Congressional

Districts 42 Counties

838 Municipalities

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Delaware River

Basin Commission

P

E

N

N

S

Y

L

VA

NIA

MARY

LAND

DELAWARE

N EW Y O RK

ATLAN

TIC

OCEAN

CHESA

PEAKE

BAY

NewJersey

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Changing Management Needs

Point Non-Point Sources

Importance of Land Activities and Land Cover

Ecological Flow Needs Emerging Contaminants

Issues of Water Allocation and Use

Energy Generation Water FootprintNatural Gas Development

Climate Change

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More Subtle Changes

Many converging factors affecting watermanagement

Water Quality Creep

Unintended consequences

Tipping Point

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Gas Shale development could be

extensive and impact water

availability and quality

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MarcellusShale and

SpecialProtection

Waters

36% (4,937 mi2)

of the Delaware

Basin is

underlain by the

Marcellus Shale

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Hydro-fracking Phase(a week or two)

Injection pumps, supplies,and many frack tanks forfresh and flowback waters

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Concerns of the Commission

1. Water Withdrawals, Use,and Tracking

2. Well Pads and AncillaryInfrastructure

3. Wastewater Tracking

and Disposal

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Headwaters are the mostsensitive areas of awatershed

Existing contiguous forestis critical to water quantityand quality

Multiple Factors

Increasing ImperviousCover - development

NGWD, Road cuts,pipeline connections

Forest Fragmentation

Philadelphia Source WaterProtection Analysis

#1 Change inDelaware RiverHeadwaters

Vulnerability of Headwaters

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World of Greater Uncertainty

New parameters of concern

Increased scientific uncertainty

Overlay of climate change

Growing struggle economics vsenvironment

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The What and The How

What - Set policy, direction, outcomes e.g. -Water Resources Plan for the DRB

Set schedule and funding (hopefully)

Allow differences in setting the How Due to differences in geography

Topography, location in the basin

Due to differences in issues and demographics Complexity of the issues

Accoutability

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I am convinced thatwhen we put our creative minds to it,

we are perfectly capable ofharmonizing human prosperity and growthwith environmental protection.

William Ruckelshaus, 2010

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QUESTIONS?

www.DRBC.net