As one of several National Focus Area Studies within the USGS National Water Census (NWC), the USGS completed a 3-year study of water availability and use in the Delaware River Basin.
National Water Census • Delaware River Basin • Process-Based Streamflow • Statistical Streamflow • Water Use • Ecological Flow
The Delaware River Basin covers 13,500 square miles in parts of four States, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The population in the basin is approximately 7.3 million people. The basin has the largest interbasin withdrawal of water east of the Mississippi River and provides water to over 15 million people. After a history of litigation, many of the water management decisions on the river system are now coordinated through the interstate Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).
The National Water Census Focus Area Study in the Delaware Basin concentrated on providing information to stakeholders in the basin, and on contributing to science needs outlined in the DRBC water management strategy. Among the needs identified by over 60 stakeholder groups, including Federal, State, local, nongovernmental organizations, academics, and others was the importance of improving the integration of water-use and water supply data. Stakeholders also pointed out the need for a scientific approach to defining relations between streamflow processes and the responses of aquatic organisms in tributary streams. Finally, stakeholders recognized the usefulness of a hydrologic watershed model to evaluate water stressors such as growth of population centers, the effects of land-use change, and the effects of climate variability and change on water resources in the basin.
Incorporating this input from the stakeholders, the efforts of the Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study were organized under three topics:
- Water availability streamflow modeling
- Water use
- Ecological-flow science
National Water Census • Delaware River Basin • Process-Based Streamflow • Statistical Streamflow • Water Use • Ecological Flow
Below are other science components of the Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study.
National Water Census
Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Process-Based Streamflow Modeling
Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Statistical Streamflow Modeling
Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Water Use
Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Ecological Flow Science
Below are publications associated with the Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study.
Sensitivity of the projected hydroclimatic environment of the Delaware River basin to formulation of potential evapotranspiration
Estimated use of water in the Delaware River Basin in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 2010
Evaluating methods to establish habitat suitability criteria: A case study in the upper Delaware River Basin, USA
Estimation of daily mean streamflow for ungaged stream locations in the Delaware River Basin, water years 1960–2010
User’s guide for the Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET)
Predicting thermally stressful events in rivers with a strategy to evaluate management alternatives
Summary of hydrologic modeling for the Delaware River Basin using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER)
User manuals for the Delaware River Basin Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (DRB–WATER) and associated WATER application utilities
An integrated Riverine Environmental Flow Decision Support System (REFDSS) to evaluate the ecological effects of alternative flow scenarios on river ecosystems
Developing and testing temperature models for regulated systems: a case study on the Upper Delaware River
- Overview
As one of several National Focus Area Studies within the USGS National Water Census (NWC), the USGS completed a 3-year study of water availability and use in the Delaware River Basin.
National Water Census • Delaware River Basin • Process-Based Streamflow • Statistical Streamflow • Water Use • Ecological Flow
Map of the Delaware River Basin The Delaware River Basin covers 13,500 square miles in parts of four States, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The population in the basin is approximately 7.3 million people. The basin has the largest interbasin withdrawal of water east of the Mississippi River and provides water to over 15 million people. After a history of litigation, many of the water management decisions on the river system are now coordinated through the interstate Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).
The National Water Census Focus Area Study in the Delaware Basin concentrated on providing information to stakeholders in the basin, and on contributing to science needs outlined in the DRBC water management strategy. Among the needs identified by over 60 stakeholder groups, including Federal, State, local, nongovernmental organizations, academics, and others was the importance of improving the integration of water-use and water supply data. Stakeholders also pointed out the need for a scientific approach to defining relations between streamflow processes and the responses of aquatic organisms in tributary streams. Finally, stakeholders recognized the usefulness of a hydrologic watershed model to evaluate water stressors such as growth of population centers, the effects of land-use change, and the effects of climate variability and change on water resources in the basin.
Incorporating this input from the stakeholders, the efforts of the Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study were organized under three topics:
- Water availability streamflow modeling
- Water use
- Ecological-flow science
National Water Census • Delaware River Basin • Process-Based Streamflow • Statistical Streamflow • Water Use • Ecological Flow
- Science
Below are other science components of the Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study.
National Water Census
The National Water Census will deliver routinely updated water availability information in the United States.Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Process-Based Streamflow Modeling
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources provides a decision support system to examine different land-cover forecasts and climate projections using physical aspects of the basin that will remain unchanged, like topography and soil properties, to estimate streamflow for ungaged streams.Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Statistical Streamflow Modeling
The Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET) uses historical records of streamflow to estimate daily mean streamflow at any stream location within the Delaware River Basin for the period 1960-2010, incorporating basin characteristics such as drainage size, soil, geology, and seasonal precipitation.Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Water Use
Water-use data were compiled or estimated for 8-digit and 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code watersheds for 2010. Water withdrawal, interbasin transfers, return flow, and hydroelectric power generation release data were compiled for 11 water-use categories.Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study: Ecological Flow Science
The Riverine Environmental Flow Decision Support System (REFDSS), models of river temperature, and evaluation of methods of determining Habitat Suitability Criteria were all products of the ecological-flow science component of the Delaware Focus Area Study. - Publications
Below are publications associated with the Delaware River Basin Focus Area Study.
Sensitivity of the projected hydroclimatic environment of the Delaware River basin to formulation of potential evapotranspiration
The Delaware River Basin (DRB) encompasses approximately 0.4 % of the area of the United States (U.S.), but supplies water to 5 % of the population. We studied three forested tributaries to quantify the potential climate-driven change in hydrologic budget for two 25-year time periods centered on 2030 and 2060, focusing on sensitivity to the method of estimating potential evapotranspiration (PET) cAuthorsTanja N. Williamson, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Paul C.D. MillyEstimated use of water in the Delaware River Basin in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 2010
The Delaware River Basin (DRB) was selected as a Focus Area Study in 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the USGS National Water Census. The National Water Census is a USGS research program that focuses on national water availability and use and then develops new water accounting tools and assesses water availability at both the regional and national scales. One of the water managAuthorsSusan S. Hutson, Kristin S. Linsey, Russell A. Ludlow, Betzaida Reyes, Jennifer L. ShourdsEvaluating methods to establish habitat suitability criteria: A case study in the upper Delaware River Basin, USA
Defining habitat suitability criteria (HSC) of aquatic biota can be a key component to environmental flow science. HSC can be developed through numerous methods; however, few studies have evaluated the consistency of HSC developed by different methodologies. We directly compared HSC for depth and velocity developed by the Delphi method (expert opinion) and by two primary literature meta-analyses (AuthorsHeather S. Galbraith, Carrie J. Blakeslee, Jeffrey C. Cole, Colin Talbert, Kelly O. MaloneyEstimation of daily mean streamflow for ungaged stream locations in the Delaware River Basin, water years 1960–2010
The ability to characterize baseline streamflow conditions, compare them with current conditions, and assess effects of human activities on streamflow is fundamental to water-management programs addressing water allocation, human-health issues, recreation needs, and establishment of ecological flow criteria. The U.S. Geological Survey, through the National Water Census, has developed the DelawareAuthorsMarla H. StuckeyUser’s guide for the Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET)
IntroductionThe Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET) is a tool for the simulation of streamflow at a daily time step for an ungaged stream location in the Delaware River Basin. DRB-SET was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and funded through WaterSMART as part of the National Water Census, a USGS research program on national water availability and use that developsAuthorsMarla H. Stuckey, James E. UlrichPredicting thermally stressful events in rivers with a strategy to evaluate management alternatives
Water temperature is an important factor in river ecology. Numerous models have been developed to predict river temperature. However, many were not designed to predict thermally stressful periods. Because such events are rare, traditionally applied analyses are inappropriate. Here, we developed two logistic regression models to predict thermally stressful events in the Delaware River at the US GeoAuthorsK.O. Maloney, J. C. Cole, M. SchmidSummary of hydrologic modeling for the Delaware River Basin using the Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER)
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) is a decision support system for the nontidal part of the Delaware River Basin that provides a consistent and objective method of simulating streamflow under historical, forecasted, and managed conditions. In order to quantify the uncertainty associated with these simulations, however, streamflow and the associated hydroclimatic variaAuthorsTanja N. Williamson, Jeremiah G. Lant, Peter R. Claggett, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Paul C.D. Milly, Hugh L. Nelson, Scott A. Hoffman, Susan J. Colarullo, Jeffrey M. FischerUser manuals for the Delaware River Basin Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (DRB–WATER) and associated WATER application utilities
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) is a decision support system (DSS) for the nontidal part of the Delaware River Basin (DRB) that provides a consistent and objective method of simulating streamflow under historical, forecasted, and managed conditions. WATER integrates geospatial sampling of landscape characteristics, including topographic and soil properties, with a rAuthorsTanja N. Williamson, Jeremiah G. LantAn integrated Riverine Environmental Flow Decision Support System (REFDSS) to evaluate the ecological effects of alternative flow scenarios on river ecosystems
In regulated rivers, managers must evaluate competing flow release scenarios that attempt to balance both human and natural needs. Meeting these natural flow needs is complex due to the myriad of interacting physical and hydrological factors that affect ecosystems. Tools that synthesize the voluminous scientific data and models on these factors will facilitate management of these systems. Here, weAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Colin B. Talbert, Jeffrey C. Cole, Heather S. Galbraith, Carrie J. Blakeslee, Leanne Hanson, Christopher L. Holmquist-JohnsonDeveloping and testing temperature models for regulated systems: a case study on the Upper Delaware River
Water temperature is an important driver of many processes in riverine ecosystems. If reservoirs are present, their releases can greatly influence downstream water temperatures. Models are important tools in understanding the influence these releases may have on the thermal regimes of downstream rivers. In this study, we developed and tested a suite of models to predict river temperature at a locaAuthorsJeffrey C. Cole, Kelly O. Maloney, Matthias Schmid, James E. McKenna