Rocks, rapids, gas tanks and corpses?

By DAVID HULSE

BEACH LAKE, PA — With a new boating season beginning, state regulators and livery operators may soon be in each other’s faces.

National Park Service (NPS) officials, who were concerned about the physical debris that September’s flooding would leave, last week warned livery operators about bureaucratic snags in the water following April’s record flooding.

“God only knows what you might run into,” Upper Delaware NPS Chief of Protection Al Henry told a handful of livery operators attending the April 27 meeting of the Safety Committee.

In physical terms, Henry said that river eel weirs are “filled with stuff. I don’t think any of them will be operable.” He said liquid propane tanks and cylinders and a cow were seen afloat during the flooding. There is still a man from the Deposit area missing and presumed drowned. Henry said the body search had gone as far south as Lordville. In general, he told the livery operators to let all their customers know to stay away from suspicious looking debris. “It could be bad,” Henry concluded.

Henry also warned that it was likely that several New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) boating launch areas would not be open in time for the season. “You’d need a lunar lander to get to the Callicoon (DEC) area,” he commented.

He also warned that commercial outfitters, who aren’t licensed in PA and plan to use Pennsylvania launch areas as a substitutes, would be subject to stiff fines from PA Fish Commission officers.

A fish commission spokesman for the northeast regional office said he was unaware of any emergency policies that would change normal enforcement procedures. “You would need a guide’s license to use our launches commercially,” he said. Many commercial launch sites are in need of cleanup as well, and NPS Resource Specialist Mike Reuber warned that permits are needed to work in the river.

“If you don’t [get permits] it’s a slippery slope below the high water mark,” Henry warned.

DEC’s Region 3 has issued a “general permit for routine repairs of stream damage” caused by the April flooding. In a statement, Regional Director Marc Moran said that, while the process is expedited, people wishing to use the general permit must still file an application form with DEC, and noted that the agency may meet with the applicant on site before the work is done.

Dave Jones of Kittatinny Canoes said he would take his chances on fines rather than facing lawsuits if his customers get hurt at uncleaned access areas. “I can’t wait three months for a permit…. They’ve got to understand that we’ve got emergency repairs to make.”

If not, “Fine, let them put me in jail. I’ll be out of business anyway,” Jones said.

In other business Assistant NPS Superintendent Sandra Schultz said that increasing insurance and support costs likely will spell the end for the Delaware River Sojourn after this June’s event.