The NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection has announced a planned repair project and shutdown of the Delaware Aqueduct in October 2024 until the spring of 2025.

• Learn more about the shutdown project

Reservoirs in the Delaware River Basin are all located on tributaries & play a key role in flow management.

Major Reservoirs in the Delaware River Basin 

View Map as pdf

Reservoirs in the DRB are used for the following purposes (some are multi-purpose)

• Water Supply
  
  
• Hydroelectric Power
  
  
• Flood control 
  
  
• Recreation

Reservoir Storage Studies

• F.E. Walter Reservoir Re-Evaluation Study (ongoing study by the USACE; DRBC is a non-federal co-sponsor of this study)
  
  
• Evaluation of Additional Storage in the Delaware River Basin (DRBC study initiated in 2021; final report issued April 2023)

New York City Delaware River Basin Reservoirs

• Cannonsville Reservoir
  
  
• Pepacton Reservoir
  
  
• Neversink Reservoir

These reservoirs, owned/operated by New York City, are located in the Delaware River Basin's headwaters in New York. Water from these reservoirs is transferred to New York City through the Delaware Aqueduct and via the Roundout Reservoir for water supply. Roughly half of the city's population, plus other communities along the route, get their drinking water from this reservoir system.

Through the Delaware River Master (a USGS position), releases from these reservoirs are made to meet the Montague, N.J. flow target of 1,750 cfs.

Storage levels in these reservoirs drive the DRBC's basin-wide drought management plan.

DRBC works closely with the River Master and others to monitor storage in these three reservoirs.

DRBC Provides NYC DRB Reservoir Storage Info

• Daily via the Hydrologic Conditions in the DRB Dashboard
  
  
• Weekly at NYC Delaware River Basin Reservoir Storage Info

Delaware Aqueduct to Shut Down for Repairs: October 2024

The NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection has announced a planned shutdown of the Delaware Aqueduct in October 2024 until the spring of 2025.

• Learn more about the shutdown project

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reservoirs

• F. E. Walter Reservoir
  
  
• Blue Marsh Reservoir
  
  
• Beltzville Reservoir
  
  
• Prompton Dam
  
  
• Jadwin Dam

More information on these reservoirs can be found on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website.

DRBC owns water supply storage in two Corps' reservoirs, Beltzville and Blue Marsh, which are located in the Lehigh and Schuylkill sub-basins respectively; this storage is utilized to meet the Trenton, N.J. flow target of 3,000 cfs. Storage levels in these reservoirs drive the commission's lower basin drought operating plan.  

Merrill Creek Reservoir

• Merrill Creek Reservoir was built by a consortium of power companies in order to provide water releases in times of drought to make up for their consumptive use.
  

Marsh Creek Reservoir

• Storage in the Marsh Creek Reservoir, located in Chester County, Pa., is used to support in-stream flow management in the Brandywine Creek.
  

Additional Reservoirs Used in Drought Emergency

In times of drought emergency, (view map as pdf), DRBC can call for an additional 69 billion gallons (BG) of water for flow augmentation from several other basin reservoirs:

• Mongaup System (15 BG)
  
  
• Lake Wallenpaupack (30 BG)
  
  
• F.E. Walter Reservoir (11 BG)
  
  
• Lake Nockamixon (13 BG)

• View DRB Water Management schematic (pdf)
  
  
• Hydrologic Reports
  
  
• Salt Front Location
  
  
• DRBC Water Supply/Planning Program