Following the flood

Controversy in the aftermath

By SANDY LONG

UPPER DELAWARE REGION — Severe main-stem flooding of the Delaware River Basin in June 2006 left the Upper Delaware Region reeling with efforts to repair and reduce the flood’s impacts on lives, businesses and the regional economy.

Dredging and bulldozing

With buildings, bridges and roads destroyed, public outcry for flood mitigation increased dramatically, with some calling for immediate dredging of creeks and streams. As bulldozers were driven into waterways, officials like Jack Isaacs of the New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) cautioned that such measures only move problems down the line. “When you smooth out the bottom of a creek and push up the sides, you essentially make a chute for the water to blast through. That can be devastating to downstream communities,” said Isaacs.

Trout Unlimited’s Nathaniel Gillespie described dredging as a short-term fix that “unzips” stream bottoms and creates new sources of loose gravel, while Brian Mulvenna of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said that his agency views dredging as a financially impractical strategy with limited short-term benefits. “When you put a bulldozer in a stream, it destroys habitat and relocates the problem,” Mulvenna said.

Friends of the Upper Delaware River’s Craig Findley advocated for the development of a comprehensive flood plan, a buyout program for those living within flood plains, a reevaluation of permitting regulations pertaining to sewage treatment plants, powerlines and pipelines and reassessment of policies pertaining to future development within flood plains.

Toward year’s end, the Delaware River Basin Commission’s four member states—New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware—charged the organization with establishing an interstate task force to recommend comprehensive flood mitigation measures.

Contaminants and other impacts

Raging flood waters also took their toll on the regional economy by hitting at the beginning of the summer recreation season. For more than a week following flooding, the river remained murky, raising concerns about the safety of recreational contact with the water. With damaged upriver sewage treatment facilities discharging partially treated waste into the river, and the continued release of sediment-laden waters from upriver reservoirs, the contents of the muddy flow became a mixture of science and speculation.

The National Park Service increased the frequency of its river-testing program and discovered high levels of fecal coliform near certain tributaries like the Ten Mile River in Tusten, NY, where levels topped 500 colonies per 100 ml. The New York State Department of Health, which closes public beaches when levels top 200 colonies, advised the public to exercise caution, citing “high flows, debris, diminished water clarity and elevated bacteria levels.” Subsequent tests showed fluctuating results and eventual stabilization to normal levels as the season progressed.

Watercraft rental and camping businesses suffered substantial damage to their landing and camping sites, in addition to losing important revenues from the Fourth of July weekend. The Zane Grey Museum, located at the confluence of the Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers, sustained extensive damage, requiring the removal of archival materials, various facilities repairs and closure for the remainder of the year. The museum will reopen on Memorial Day 2007.

Not all businesses were able to overcome the flood’s impacts. Twin Islands Campsites in Roscoe, NY left this message on its answering machine for callers: “With the horrific flooding in the area, the campsite has suffered tremendous damage. Unfortunately we will not be able to reopen. We thank all of our customers for all of the years of business.”