Get you a boat and be ready to float!

 Attended the meeting last night about the repair work scheduled to be done this year on the aqueduct that runs water from the Delaware River System  reservoirs(Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink) down to NYC. There are two leaks, the biggest of which is under the Hudson River. A new two plus mile section of aqueduct has been constructed under the river and is now ready to be connected to the existing line to replace the part that is leaking. The project will cost one billion dollars and the work is supposed to be completed in eight months. Project start date is October 1, 2023 with completion by the end of May 2024.

How does it effect us? Because the Delaware water aqueduct will be shut down during the construction all of the water will be sent down the three rivers. The plan is to create a 30% void in each reservoirs prior to the October 1st start date. This will lessen the chance of flooding should there be significant amounts of precipitation during the shutdown period.

How will they do this? Starting June 1st 2023 all three reservoirs will run maximum releases until the void is created. This will mean the WB will have a release of 1,500 cfs of water, the EB will have a 700cfs release of water and the Neversink will have a 200cfs release of water. Because there is no way to accurately predict the amount of water coming into the reservoirs no one knows how long the releases will be maxed out. The flows levels after the voids are created is yet to be determined.

How will this affect fishermen?  Drifters, will of course be elated. Wade fishermen, not so much. The cold water should create good fishing throughout the entire system for as long as it lasts. The release water is drawn from the bottom of the reservoirs and will deplete the water below the thermocline sooner than later. This should not be a threat to the trout but it may well affect the July and August Sulfur Zone fishing. 

In short, a lot of uncertainties, a chance for some spectacular June and July fishing throughout the system and a good excuse to buy a boat.