NO. 2001-32

A RESOLUTION pursuant to Articles 3.3 and 10.4 of the Delaware River Basin Compact to preserve and protect water supplies in the Delaware River Basin.

WHEREAS, on December 1, 2001, the storage criterion set forth in Commission Resolution No. 83-13 for New York City's Delaware River Basin reservoirs triggered drought operations in accordance with the schedule of releases and diversions in the Commission's drought operating plan, and

WHEREAS, in accordance with Resolution 83-13, when the storage criterion is met, it is the policy of the Commission to declare a drought emergency for purposes of imposing appropriate conservation measures, and

WHEREAS, the states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania have issued drought warnings for counties within the Delaware River Basin and have called for voluntary water conservation by all users, and

WHEREAS, the Commission's drought operating plan complements the states' drought operation by addressing the essential conservation of regional reservoir storage for purposes of water supply and flow augmentation for the Delaware River and salinity control in the Delaware Estuary, and

WHEREAS, a declaration of drought emergency by the Commission is required for the full implementation of water conserving provisions of its drought operating plan and to preserve and protect the regional water supply in the Basin; now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Delaware River Basin Commission

1. A state of drought emergency exists in the Delaware River Basin for the purposes of the conservation of regional reservoir storage under the Commission's drought operating plan.
   
2. The signatory states shall be responsible for the declaration of county or statewide drought emergency as they deem necessary, and shall be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of associated restrictions on non-essential water uses in these areas.
   
3. Water storage currently impounded by the Wallenpaupack dam of PPL Generation, LLC, and by the Mongaup reservoir system of Mirant shall be called upon to provide releases from storage to assist in meeting the flow target at Montague, New Jersey. It is the policy of the Commission that these reservoirs shall be operated such as to maximize power releases during summer and early fall to meet flow objectives at Montague, and to minimize power releases during winter and spring in order to refill by June 1.
   
4. In accordance with the Commission's drought operating plan, the Army Corps of Engineers is hereby requested to retain storage in F.E. Walter Reservoir and provide releases of water upon the request of the Commission to assist in maintaining the Trenton flow objective.
   
5. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is hereby requested to provide releases of water from the Nockamixon Reservoir upon the request of the Commission, and in accordance with the priority of use shown in Table 1 of Section 2.5.5 of the Commission's Water Code to assist in maintaining the Trenton flow objective.
   
6. Upon the request of a signatory state, the Commission shall require self-supplied users of ground and surface waters in that state whose use for any purpose exceeds an average of 1 mgd during any 30-day period to prepare contingency plans for water curtailment or reduction in the event that it is necessary and submit those plans to the Commission.
   
7. All residents of the Basin are urged to conserve water to the maximum extent possible to preserve and protect the Basin's water supplies.
   
8. This resolution shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until terminated by action of the Commission.

ADOPTED: December 18, 2001