Delaware River Report / Conditions October 27, 2015

NYC DEP once again shows a total disregard for the rivers below their dams.  Yesterday’s release from Cannonsville Reservoir was 874 cfs.  They shut the release down and we immediately dropped below 200 cfs at the Stilesville gauge.  At 1 AM this morning the release was increased to 227 cfs.  At 3 AM the release was increased to 292 cfs, and raised again at 6 AM to 357 cfs.  We need NYC DEP to step down the releases gradually rather than simply turning off the spigot.  The additional water they would use to ramp the flows down would be minimal on their end but the benefits to the health of the system below the dams would be huge.  Please let the following people hear your voice:

Paul Rush (NYCDEP) prush@dep.nyc.gov ph:845-334-7107
Thom Murphy (NYCDEP) tmurphy@dep.nyc.gov ph: 914-742-2006
Mark Klotz (NYSDEC) maklotz@gw.dec.state.ny.us ph:518-402-8233
Fred Hensen (NYSDEC) fghenson@gw.dec.state.ny.us ph: 518-402-8901
Mark Hartle (PAFBC) mhartle@pa.gov ph: 814-359-5133

Not good for spawning browns

Not the first time this season:  NYC DEP turned the spigot off on September 28th.  The release was cut from 1,290 cfs to 300 cfs.  Soon after on the upper West Branch Jared Makowski and Bruce Miller found dead young brown trout that had been trapped in the weeds.

Dead browns found not long after the release was cut on September 28th.  Coincidence?

Hatching:
Slate Drake #14 – Isonychia bicolor
Olive Sulphur #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Light Cahills #14 – various steno species (invaria, etc)
Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22-26 – Pseudo sp. (now classified as Acentrella sp.)
Charcoal Caddis #14 -16 – dark Brachycentrus sp.
Tan Caddis #16-18 – Hydrosyche sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis sp.