8/2/15 NYCDEP Update on Cannonsville Reservoir:

1) The turbid discharge downstream of Cannonsville Dam has been completely and successfully halted.
2) After consulting with engineers from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, NYCDEP has decided to return
Cannonsville Reservoir to normal operations. Some of those changes will happen gradually over the next several days.

For full details, please click here (pdf 145 KB) or the links above/below.

The Cannonsville Reservoir is owned by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) and is located on the West Branch Delaware River. The city has increased its downstream releases out of an abundance of caution as it continues to investigate and repair an ongoing turbid discharge from a rock embankment below the Cannonsville Dam.

The releases to the West Branch Delaware River are currently at the maximum sustainable level of 1,500 cubic feet second, or about 968 million gallons a day. Increases in streamflow are being realized on the West Branch Delaware River and on the main stem of the Delaware River. Decreases in temperature are also being realized, especially in the upper basin, as the water being released from the deeper portions of the reservoir is cold. River users should be aware of the elevated water levels and cold temperatures and exercise caution.

NYCDEP is providing updates and more detailed information on its web site at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/watershed_protection/cannonsville.shtml and on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nycwatershed.

The National Weather Service (NWS) is incorporating the current reservoir release information from NYCDEP in its river rise forecasts for the Delaware River Basin. These forecasts, which are updated daily, can be found via the following links:

• NWS Interactive River Forecast Map Upstream of the Delaware Water Gap: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=bgm
• NWS Interactive River Forecast Map Downstream of the Delaware Water Gap: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=phi

In addition to the above, DRBC's web site includes a page with links to specific upper and lower basin NWS river rise forecast points; click here to view. 

Real-time information from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) about stream flows, river stages, and temperatures on the Delaware River at gages between the Cannonsville Reservoir and Trenton, N.J. can be found by clicking here. Please note that the water temperatures are in degrees Celsius; scroll over those figures to see the temperatures converted to degrees Fahrenheit.

Links to view current USGS streamflow information from gages located in the Delaware River Basin can be found on the DRBC web site at www.nj.gov/drbc/hydrological/river/usgs/.

The Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River is a 73-mile stretch of the Delaware River from Hancock, N.Y. downstream to Milrift, Pa. that is part of the National Park Service (NPS). Its web site offers information on river conditions and recommendations at www.nps.gov/upde/planyourvisit/river-conditions.htm. The public can also call the NPS Upper Delaware River Hotline at (845) 252-7100 to listen to a recorded message on river height, water and air temperatures, boating conditions, and general river safety information. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and is updated daily during the boating season.

The NPS Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers about 40 miles of the Delaware River from just south of Port Jervis, N.Y. downstream to the Delaware Water Gap near Stroudsburg, Pa. Its web site provides safety and current river conditions information to boaters and kayakers; click here to view.