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Water & Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County <br />Water and Wastewater System Master Plan <br /> <br />Safe Yield Update and Regional Drought Operations <br /> <br />Location: Delaware River Basin' <br /> <br />Management Agency: Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) <br /> <br />Drought Indicator(s): [~Reservoir Water Levels <br /> J--]Stream Flows <br /> ['-']Water Production and Distribution Capabilities <br /> [-1Drawdown Rates <br /> [--]Precipitation Outlook <br /> ["]Daily Water Use Patterns <br /> J-]Seasonal and Long-Term Weather Patterns <br /> [--]Availability of Water from Other Sources <br /> [--']Other: <br />Ad~titional Information: <br />"Delaware River Basin Commission's Homepage" <br />http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/drbc.htm/ <br />Delaware River Basin Commission (2003) <br /> <br />Program Summary <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />The Delaware River Basin drains portions of four states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, <br />and Delaware. In 1961, the governors of these states and the federal government created the <br />Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to manage water resources throughout the basin <br />without regard to political boundaries. <br /> <br />The DRBC monitors regional drought conditions using storage-based reservoir operating curves <br />for the New York City - Delaware River Basin Reservoirs (Cannonsville, Pepacton, and <br />Neversink), which are located in the river's headwaters in the Catskill Mountains. The drought <br />operating (rule) curves are based on the combined storage of the three reservoirs (271 billion <br />gallons). These curves establish minimum storage levels that reflect annual reservoir inflow <br />variations and seasonal demand patterns. During drought periods, the DRBC uses the operating <br />curves to allocate water diversions to New York City and New Jersey while providing minimum <br />flow targets at selected river locations for salinity control in the Delaware Estuary. The DRBC <br />also monitors storage in the Blue Marsh and Beltzville Reservoirs, which are located in the Lower <br />Delaware River Basin, in an effort to address varying hydrologic conditions within the watershed. <br /> <br />The drought operating curves define three drought operating status "zones" that outline a phased <br />water diversion reduction schedule and accompanying releases for salinity control. When the <br />combined reservoir storage drops below the drought watch curve for five consecutive days, <br />allocations and flow targets are reduced according to the phased reduction schedule. Additional <br />reductions are implemented on the first day that the combined reservoir storage drops into the <br />drought warning zone. If the combined reservoir storage enters the drought zone and remains <br />there for five consecutive days, the DRBC further reduces allocations and flow targets and may <br />declare a drought emergency for the region. Note that a drought declaration requires a unanimous <br />vote among the Commission's members. <br /> <br />PN 096873.0800 26 ~'~J. <br />January 23, 2004 BLACK & VEATCH <br /> ~l~ ~, + International Company <br /> <br /> <br />