Flood mitigation planning task force has kick-off meeting

Proposed measures may include land acquisition WEST TRENTON, N.J. - The Delaware River Basin Commission announced Wednesday that the newly formed Interstate Flood Mitigation Task Force met for the first time to begin its work towards recommending a set of comprehensive flood mitigation measures for the Delaware River Basin. A draft preliminary recommendations report is expected by the end of the year. A public comment period and public meetings are anticipated in early 2007. Strategy elements are expected to encompass reservoir operations, floodplain mapping, floodplain regulations, structural and non-structural mitigation measures including acquisition and elevation programs, flood warning, and stormwater management. “We know that each basin state is working individually to address and mitigate flooding, but we believe a comprehensive, long-term flood loss reduction and flood mitigation strategy can be developed through this coordinated, interstate effort,” said Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Executive Director Carol R. Collier . “At the direction of our five commissioners, we have been ambitiously charged to propose a preliminary action plan with recommendations by the close of 2006.” Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, New York Gov. George Pataki, and Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell, who serve as DRBC members, jointly sent a letter to Collier on Sept. 21 authorizing and requesting commission staff to form the interstate task force. The Delaware Basin was devastated by severe floods in Sept. 2004, Apr. 2005, and June 2006, following a period of nearly 50 years without any widespread main stem flooding. “The task force is comprised of 30 members including elected and emergency management officials, along with representatives from federal, state, and regional agencies, as well as citizen and academic interests,” Collier said. “We sought to gain a broad representation of task force members while realizing that involvement of all interested stakeholders in the four states was not possible due to the short time constraint established by our commissioners.” DRBC Deputy Executive Director Robert Tudor is leading the staff support of this effort. Additional information will be posted on the commission’s Web site at www.drbc.net as it becomes available.