Outfitters ponder a future of reduced river flows
By Anya Tikka
MILFORD — As New York City reduces the voluntary water releases upon which the area’s economy depends, local outdoor businesses again find themselves wondering what this means for the future.
The reservoirs concerned are Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink in New York, but the water levels affect all downstream areas, including Pike County.
Dave Jones of Kittatinny Canoes said it's a huge negative impact on his livery business. But Ted Metzger of Pike County Outfitters said he’s not noticed any difference because there was so much rain this summer. In addition, a last-minute contingency plan at the start of summer headed off a water flow crisis.
Metzger acknowledged that in the future, if no agreement is reached and there’s not much rain, the impact will be significant.
Jones described in detail how the reduced water levels are affecting his river boating business directly.
“Fewer and fewer people are coming back each year," he said. "Visitors tell me their experience it not good. They get stuck on rocks, and have to walk.”
Jones blames the Delaware River Basin Commission for the problem. It’s a dysfunctional, corrupt organization that needs to be disbanded, he said. He also blamed New York City.
“They just don’t care,” he said.
“We all want healthy fisheries and trout," he said. "I’m a fisherman. But the only voice that seems to be heard is fisheries, no one cares about recreation, boating that’s the lifeblood of the economy here. We don’t even get mentioned!”
He believes the future of the whole river valley development is at stake, and claimed there are plans to let the area revert back to its original natural state for a huge national park.
Jones talked about the threat of hurricanes and torrential rains that cause the reservoirs to overflow, causing extreme flooding.
“They’re full, more than average capacity right now,” Jones said. “It makes no sense to stop the releases now.”
Last year, he said, the salt water from the estuary at Delaware Bay came much higher upstream the river from the because water wasn’t released, he said, and then had to be released in November or December because the salt was seeping up too far into the river.
“Why not do it now?” he asked.
Metzger said he’s lived in the area all his life, and thought the river flow was fine this year because of the abundant rain. Many of his patrons fish for smallmouth bass and catfish in the summer and walleye in the winter.
He speculated if there’s a loss of business this year, it have more to do with the season's unusually cool temperatures.
New York City already reduced its water releases starting on Sept. 5. Tthe second stage will take place Oct. 10 to the minimum rates of release currently allowed.
The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees the agreement, is made of five commission members, the governors of the basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ North Atlantic Division, who represents the federal government.
NYCDEP Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush said the city wanted to “support the world-class fishery on the upper Delaware River and the tourism businesses that rely on river recreation.”
“However," he continued, "these additional releases of water were never meant to be a long-term substitute for the type of unanimous agreement, between the states and the City that the U.S. Supreme Court envisioned in its 1954 decree. As we take this action, New York City also remains fully engaged in productive negotiations with the four states. The past three months have brought significant progress, and we hope a new flow program for the Delaware River will be agreed upon in short order.”
An estimated $10 million in annual economic activity is at stake, according to Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. The DRBC oversees 13,539 square miles in the Delaware River Basin.
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