Increasin Public Understanding of Water Management Criteria

摘要

The majority of the 16 federal reservoir projects operated by the Pittsburgh District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936. These dams were built primarily for the purposes of reducing flood stages (flood control) and providing low water regulation for water quality control along the Allegheny, Monongahela, and upper Ohio Rivers. After these dams were placed in operation, Congress granted general authority to all Corps reservoirs for the following limited purposes: recreation; municipal and industrial water supply; fish and wildlife conservation; water quality control; and threatened and endangered species preservation. However, none of these laws specifically allocated water in the Lakes or changed operational criteria for any of these added purposes. The legislation generally states that the dam will be operated in such a manner as will protect and enhance these purposes and to the extent that they are compatible with other project purposes. rnRecently, there has been a growing demand by the public and others to change the operating criteria of federal dams in order to better meet current needs. rnOne way to review the operation of a Corps facility is under the existing authority of Section 216 of Public Law (PL) 91-611. Under this Section the Corps can review the operation of its lakes and report to Congress with recommendations on the advisability of making a modification in the overall public interest. rnWe currently are utilizing the Section 216 authority at Youghiogheny River Lake in western Pennsylvania. In this effort we are formally reallocating the storage of the facility through a modification of the release schedule from low water regulation for water quality control to water supply. We are nearing completion of the feasibility phase, and our cost-sharing partner has expressed their intent to purchase the associated storage. However, public involvement, specifically public education has proved to a huge challenge for the study team. rnThis paper will discuss the District’s current storage and release schedules against the backdrop of improved water quality in the watershed, and the needs of the area's competing water users. The paper will discuss the reallocating of storage to serve water supply and recreational needs, while positioning the region to be more responsive to anticipated future water use in the watershed. And finally, the paper will focus on the lessons learned in public education.