The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) held a special public hearing on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, starting at 1:30 p.m., to receive comment on the matter of persistent dry conditions in the Basin. The public hearing was open to the public and conducted virtually.

• View News Release (issued November 6, 2024)
  
  
• View Hydrologic Conditions Update presentation given at today's public hearing (pdf)

If conditions worsen, a special business meeting may follow on a date to be determined, or DRBC may take action at its regularly scheduled Fourth-Quarter Business Meeting, to be held December 5 at 10:30 a.m. to provide for coordinated operation of Basin reservoirs to conserve water and support mainstem flows.

The special business meeting, if needed, will be open to the public and conducted virtually.

• *NOTE - Action was taken at the DRBC's December 5 Business Meeting (news release issued December 5, 2024)

The Commission's special public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, started at 1:30 p.m. and ended no later than 3:30 p.m.

The special public hearing, which was conducted via Zoom Webinar, was to collect public testimony on the persistent dry conditions in the Basin.

To Attend the Public Hearing and Provide Oral Testimony

• Register for the Zoom Webinar (registration closed)

  • If you also intend to provide oral testimony, please indicate accordingly when you register.

  • To ensure a smooth connection, please make sure the most up to date version of Zoom is being used.

• Watch the livestream on the DRBC's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/delrivbasincomm/.

  • The YouTube channel is for viewing only. If you intend to provide oral testimony, you must attend the Zoom Webinar.

To Provide Written Comment on the Persistent Dry Conditions in the DRB

• Written comment was made through the Commission's web-based comment system, SmartComment: https://hearing.drbc.commentinput.com?id=cutNg 
  
  
• Written comment was accepted through 5 p.m. Eastern time, Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
  
  
• Use of SmartComment ensured that all submissions are captured in a single location and their receipt was acknowledged. 
  
  
• Exceptions to the use of this system were available based on need, by writing to the attention of the Commission Secretary, DRBC, P.O. Box 7360, West Trenton, NJ 08628.

• After the public hearing, if conditions worsen, the Commission may schedule a special business meeting on or after November 21, for the purpose of implementing a coordinated response, which may include a determination that the Delaware River Basin has reached "drought watch" level and a "water supply emergency" and/or that a "critical hydrologic condition" exists. Alternatively, the Commission may take such action during its regularly scheduled Fourth-Quarter Business Meeting on Dec. 5 at 10:30 a.m.
  
  
• Coordinated actions may include reducing reservoir releases, mainstem flow targets and out-of-basin diversions to conserve storage and transitioning between declared stages of "watch," "warning," "drought" and/or "normal" operations for certain Basin reservoirs.
  
  
• Please note: The Commission may hold a special business meeting to declare a "water supply emergency" at any time on or after November 21. DRBC will endeavor to provide an additional 10 days' notice of a special business meeting, but be advised that dynamic conditions may necessitate a shorter additional notice period or eliminate the need to hold such a meeting. Please check the DRBC website and social media channels regularly for updated information and to sign up for DRBC's contact lists.

• DRB Drought Information (incl. announcements by DRBC member states): https://www.nj.gov/drbc/programs/flow/drought-info.html
  
  
• DRBC Hydrologic Conditions Info: https://www.nj.gov/drbc/programs/flow/hydro-conditions.html
  
  
• Section 10.4 of the Delaware River Basin Compact, empowering the DRBC to, among other things, coordinate the operation of regional reservoirs, diversions and flow objectives during an extended period of below-normal precipitation: https://www.nj.gov/drbc/library/documents/compact.pdf
  
  
• Sign-up for email notification of upcoming DRBC Meetings: https://www.nj.gov/drbc/contact/interest/

• Individuals in need of an accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act who wish to attend the special public hearing on November 19, 2024, should contact the Commission Secretary directly at 609-883-9500 ext. 203 or through the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) at 711, to discuss how we can accommodate your needs.
  
  
• To translate this page to one of multiple languages, please use the Google Translation widget located in the upper right of the webpage.
  
  
• To request a translation of a document that is provided in connection with this notice and public hearing, please send an email to translate@drbc.gov that identifies the requested language and requested documents. This service is for documents not capable of being translated by the webpage's Google Translate widget, which only translates html. Please note that the Commission may take several days to respond to your email, and that provision of the requested translation will also require several days.

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Pamela M. Bush, Commission Secretary and Assistant General Counsel
Notice Posted: November 6, 2024