East and West Delaware

[wbranch]

The WB is very wide st my cabin. Before I got hurt in 2017 I was able to wade 900 cfs because the width helped spread the water out. Now I rarely wade anymore. I put in at Balls Eddy and often leave the boat anchored overnight in front of the cabin. Get a good night's sleep and get out early to throw streamers and then float to Buckingham.

 

[Troy]

Any word on the release increasing June 1st? I am headed up for 3 days starting on June 1st and can't find any information on the flows increasing. I also called the fly shop and they don't know anything for sure either. You would think there would be something online if this was indeed happening?

 

[falcon]

Why would you expect them to be forthcoming? They never have been.

Also if they do a sizable release the fish may need time to acclimate. The release should be gradual.

 

[wbranch]

You won't know until it is started. Keep your eye on the USGS gages for Stilesville, Hale Eddy, Harvard, and Lordville. A friend of mine is staying at WBA for three days and I just spoke to him. No bugs to speak about. The WB is very low, 425 cfs at Stilesville. The main is only 990 cfs. That is terribly low for Luly let alone the end of May. Good luck. He did catch one 18" just at dark at the WBA home pool.

 

[Troy]

You won't know until it is started. Keep your eye on the USGS gages for Stilesville, Hale Eddy, Harvard, and Lordville. A friend of mine is staying at WBA for three days and I just spoke to him. No bugs to speak about. The WB is very low, 425 cfs at Stilesville. The main is only 990 cfs. That is terribly low for Luly let alone the end of May. Good luck. He did catch one 18" just at dark at the WBA home pool.

Thanks! It's going to be hot when we are up too which won't help matters. Might have to hit some mountain streams during the day. We always like to hit the Beaverkill one day during the trip too, but that is starting to get warm. I guess a little extra water in the Delaware will be good. Just not too much.

 

[Nocktavius]

Thanks! It's going to be hot when we are up too which won't help matters. Might have to hit some mountain streams during the day. We always like to hit the Beaverkill one day during the trip too, but that is starting to get warm. I guess a little extra water in the Delaware will be good. Just not too much.

There’s plenty of flow/cold water in the WB that you should be able to fish (not to mention wade) almost anywhere on that side of the system on down to at least Stockport. Dry dropper is your friend if there aren’t tons of obvious bugs. Just like in central PA, the trout haven’t gone anywhere.

Cross current posted something earlier about not being sure when/if the flow increase is coming. Not sure how that region is doing in terms of water deficit but if it’s anything like down in central PA I’d expect the precipitation dependent go/no go decision to fall heavily in the direction of no go. The whims of the Delaware Rivermasterbaiter for sure arent gonna ruin my trip.

 

[Troy]

There’s plenty of flow/cold water in the WB that you should be able to fish (not to mention wade) almost anywhere on that side of the system on down to at least Stockport. Dry dropper is your friend if there aren’t tons of obvious bugs. Just like in central PA, the trout haven’t gone anywhere.

Cross current posted something earlier about not being sure when/if the flow increase is coming. Not sure how that region is doing in terms of water deficit but if it’s anything like down in central PA I’d expect the precipitation dependent go/no go decision to fall heavily in the direction of no go. The whims of the Delaware Rivermasterbaiter for sure arent gonna ruin my trip.

I was thinking the same thing about them delaying till we get rain.

I do like being able to wade anywhere pretty much when it's low. Can get a lot closer to some of those banks.

 

[krayfish2]

I talked to one of the shop guys this afternoon and we speculated what might happen. With the very dry conditions, he's feeling that the release will happen but be dramatically less than original plans. I had someone telling me that they are likely to call it off due to the dry conditions but don't think that's going to happen because they want to complete the aqueduct work this summer.

If they ran 1500 until lake is at 70%, might take 10-14 days due to no inflow. No matter what we guess, we will be wrong because NYC does what NYC does and it often doesn't make sense

 

[Nocktavius]

Looks like they bumped the cannonsville discharge slightly this AM but nothing significant (just to keep up with low levels and temps no doubt). Would really like to have seen Hale Eddy over 700 cfs and better flow into the East to boot.

 

[krayfish2]

Yeah, wasn't expecting much with the dry conditions. Think they will operate under panic / drought plan until some rain appears. Bad thing is doesn't look like much possibility of rain in the next few weeks 😞

 

[wbranch]

I was told by Joe D of Cross Current that because of the severe dry conditions the big push of water isn't going to happen. The release has started but following the FFMP. He did tell me the Rivermaster will likely have to call for a release to keep the Montague target at the minimum. Currently a pathetic 498 cfs at Hale Eddy. I won't float under 600 cfs or 1200 cfs on the main.

 

[wbranch]

I received an email from the NYS reservoir authority indicating the prior "big water push" has been cancelled entirely because of the very dry conditions around the reservoirs and the very low inflow. I'm disappointed as I prefer big flows so all need do is steer the boat down river. Also more cold water usually means more rising fish during the daylight.

I thought the reservoirs (Cannonsville & Pepacton) would be lower but as of yesterday Cannonsville was at 92% capacity and Pepacton 96%. I also heard the entire project may be put on hold until 2024.

 

[pratt]

I received an email from FUDR on Saturday, with the following report from NYCDEP:

"In finalizing the Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) anticipates drawing down the Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink reservoirs by 30 percent leading into the planned 8-month shutdown of the Delaware Aqueduct starting this October. The planned draw down contemplates the lowering of the reservoirs through a combination of diversions and releases starting this month. While it remains DEP’s intention to lower storage levels in those reservoirs by 30 percent ahead of the shutdown, larger than standard FFMP releases may not be necessary to achieve that goal since reservoir inflow has dropped and we expect that River Master directed releases to increase as the dry and warm weather is forecasted to continue.

Pursuant to the FFMP, on June 1 releases from the Neversink were increased from 100 CFS to 115 CFS, the Pepacton from 140 CFS to 150 CFS, and the Cannonsville from 450 CFS to 500 CFS.

DEP determines actual release rates based on forecasts of inflow, diversions and storage conditions and any assertions of a specific release rate on a specific future date from an outside entity should not be relied on. DEP will continue operations pursuant to the FFMP and will continue to update the community as conditions warrant leading into the planned shutdown. Planned release rate changes from Cannonsville Reservoir are recorded daily by DEP and are available at 866-463-4081. The release recording number is provided by the Friends of the Upper Delaware River and the Al Hazzard Trout Unlimited Chapter"

 

[pratt]

So, you follow Joe D on Instagram? 😂. I had it sent to me by a local. Last September, I was notified by a business owner on the bank of the river that October 2022 - April 2023 would be an increased release for work on the aqueduct..... never happened. Based on past performances, not getting too excited until I see the flow match the promise. If it happens, sure it will be great...if

Looking at it from a different perspective, will this hurt other fisheries? With the increased release on the upper Delaware, does that mean that water will not have to be released from the neversink, Francis Walter or wallenpaupack? I'll be interested to see how that changes everything

I don't think that these releases should impact releases from Wallenpaupack - my understanding is that the Wallenpaupack license (granted by FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) requires the operators of the dam/generating station to release water as needed to regulate the water temperature in the Lackawaxen fishery.

Now....as someone who fishes the Lackawaxen regularly ~ I don't that Brookfield does a great job of regulating water temps in the Lackawaxen via releases....but that's another story.....

 

[krayfish2]

I remember late September last year when one of the locals told me the flows would be increased dramatically from October through March so they could work on the aqueduct. That never happened. I have no expectations of them keeping their word for anything they promise up there. You just wing it and go with the flow.

Without some rain, someone's going to have to start releasing water soon keep the salt line at bay. Might come from pa, New Jersey or New York. I'm guessing it will be a combination of all three states running the lakes down over the summer just to keep fresh water line from jumping north.

 

[fritzer]

Delaware Aqueduct Shutdown Upstate Impacts - NYC DEP

 

[wbranch]

I remember late September last year when one of the locals told me the flows would be increased dramatically from October through March so they could work on the aqueduct. That never happened. I have no expectations of them keeping their word for anything they promise up there. You just wing it and go with the flow.

Without some rain, someone's going to have to start releasing water soon keep the salt line at bay. Might come from pa, New Jersey or New York. I'm guessing it will be a combination of all three states running the lakes down over the summer just to keep fresh water line from jumping north.

After 60 years on the system I don't believe anything that is ever said about releases. I forget the time frame, probably the early to late 1980's one of the gates, or valves at Cannonsville was stuck open. We had ice cold water all summer long. We were wearing long Johns as far down river as UGL's. Heck we had cold water to a few miles below Lordville throughout the summer. Awesome years of many double digit days.

Some day I'll post a few pages from a journal I kept during my best years on the main.

 

[krayfish2]

 

[wbranch]

Sounds good. The million dollar question though is will the WB & EB flows be significantly increased beginning June 01 and continuing into September or will the 30 million daily gallons just be re-routed to other reservoirs in the system?

 

[Troy]

I got back from my trip there for 3 days. Not much action. We managed to catch a couple a day. Nothing of size. Blue Sedges were out in the evening as well as some Sulfurs, but not as many as I expected. Saw some coffin flies, but no duns hatching that I saw.

I have a question and I'm wondering what the people with more knowledge than me thinks. What do you all think of the Balls Eddy access area? We wade downstream from the access. I have gone upstream a few times and have done better than downstream. That nice long hole downstream never seems to produce for us. We were there Friday night and only a handful of flies and rises. That seems to be the story all of the time.

My buddy likes that access because way back in 2013 he caught a nice rainbow there. Me on the other hand refer to it as SucksBalls Eddy. What do you all think?