Meetings, meetings, meetings, plus a cry for help

Barb and I seemed to spend the past week sitting in meetings. The first was a “Day on the Delaware,” put on by Trout Unlimited and the Delaware River Foundation. This was held at the West Branch Angler facilities. There were four interesting presentations, after which participants were invited to float on the Delaware. The speakers were Jim Serio, founder of the Delaware River Foundation, Nat Gillespie of Trout Unlimited, George Schuler of the Nature Conservancy and Lynne Hoppe, tourism director of Delaware County. The speakers all held our attention and there were lively question and answer periods after each presentation. All called for more water to be released from the Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink dams.

Why can’t we have more water for the rivers? One telling statistic gives us a clue. New York City consumes 160 gallons per day per person. Los Angeles uses 100 gallons per day per person and Boston, a large northeast city, consumes only 60 gallons per day per person. New Yorkers consume more than two and one half times as much as does a Bostonian. Why? It is due to a profligate use of water, plus a scarcity of water meters. Added to this is the fact that a tremendous amount of water leaks out of the delivery system before it ever reaches a faucet in the city. So the East and West Branches of the Delaware, the Main Stem of the Delaware and the Neversink have to suffer because of New York City’s casual attitude towards water conservation and a decrepit delivery system.

In Delaware County one third of the jobs created by tourism are fishing related, according to Hoppe. The East and West Branches of the Delaware and the Upper Main Stem from Hancock to Long Eddy represent a vital economic engine that helps to drive the economy of Delaware County. Proper water releases are the gasoline that runs this economic engine. Without water in the rivers the engine stalls and dies. Last year, Hoppe’s office of tourism directly received 7,000 phone calls asking for the “new fishing map of Delaware County.” That’s money in the bank folks. Truly it is written, “whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over.”

The “Day on the Delaware” program drew considerable interest from area politicians. Governor Pataki was represented by Marc Moran of the NYS-DEC. New York State Senator Tom Libous sent his Legislative Director Aaron Martin. Pennsylvania Congressman Ron Sherwood sent Joseph Fabricatori and Jerry Morgan from his staff. Mike Principe of the NYC-DEP represented Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. New York State Assemblyman Clifford Crouch sent staff member Rodney Decker. New York State Assemblyman Bob Warner attended in person.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) has a new computer model titled “Oasis,” which could be used as a new tool for water management in the Delaware Basin. Will New York City agree with the “Oasis” program? Will the DRBC insist on using the “Oasis” model? Them’s the sixty-four-dollar questions folks. Stay tuned.

Wednesday and Thursday, Barb and I attended the Delaware River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative meeting. Now, there is a title for you. The meetings last even longer than the name. When we attended the meeting in Hancock in 1999 all the biologists were in a tizzy over the apparent collapse of the shad run. The runs in 2000 and 2001 appear to have put everyone in a happier frame of mind. We are still not very impressed with the way they attempt to count shad using hydroaccoustic equipment. When all is said and done there are too many ifs, ands, buts and maybes to convince Barb and me that they are getting an accurate count. Then again, who cares what us civilians think. Our main reason for attending was to hear Wayne Elliott, head biologist of Region Three NYS-DEC, discuss the New York Reservoir Experimental Release and Thermal Influence on the Delaware. Unfortunately, Elliott was tied up in yet another meeting and had to cancel his presentation. Rats! Barb and I were surprised to discover that some of the attendees were not as well informed on our flow problems as we would have expected. Jim Serio did his best to bring them up to speed.

And now a cry for help… For the third year, the Upper Delaware Chapter of Trout Unlimited will put on a fly fishing and fly tying program for the boys and girls at the Callicoon Community Center on August 7, 8 and 9. The instructors will be Tony Jansic, Ed and Jim Graham, Barbara Fullerton and the Tangler. These kids are great. They are eager to learn how to cast and tie a fly. Our one problem is that we have never been able to allow them to test their new skills on a bit of water. Does anyone out there own a pond, with some sort of fish in it, that is fishable from the banks, eliminating any need for wading? Would you allow the chapter to bring nine to 12 eager youngsters to fish your pond on a one time basis? If so, please contact Tony Jansic at 570/224-4696 or the Tangler at 570/224­-6172. The kids would be delighted.