MILFORD, PA — New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the City of New York (NYC) announced last week that they have unanimously agreed to a one-year extension of the current Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) intended to meet water supply demands, protect fisheries habitat downstream of the NYC-Delaware Basin reservoirs, enhance flood mitigation and repel the upstream movement of salt water in the Delaware Estuary.

Diversions and releases of water from the three city reservoirs (Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink) are jointly managed by the four states and NYC, known as the Decree Parties, under the terms of a 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree that settled an interstate water dispute between New York State and NYC and the lower basin states.

The Decree Parties will use the additional time to further evaluate the interim reservoir management plan and use the experience to help guide ongoing negotiations to develop future multi-year agreements.

The FFMP renewal will be in effect through May 31, 2013. Visit water.usgs.gov/osw/odrm.