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Flow data measurements of the Upper Delaware River are resumed at the Barryville gauge

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Flow data measurements of the Upper Delaware River are resumed at the Barryville gauge

The National Park Service (NPS) has agreed to provide $12,090 in “stopgap” funding to restore full use of the Barryville gauge at the Barryville/Shohola Bridge on the Pennsylvania side of the Upper Delaware. The gauge had been partially defunded, leading to a gap in stream flow measurements used for flood risk assessment and by the river recreation industry.

Carly Marshall, community planner for the Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (UPDE) NPS unit, who presented the report on behalf of Superintendent Lindsey Kurnath, reported the funding at the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) meeting on October 3. NPS made an agreement with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to provide funding for this gauge downstream of the Lackawaxen River gauge for fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). The report says this is “until funding can be secured through the Federal Priority Stream gage program or a consortium of local partners.”

The meter was scheduled to resume data collection on October 1.

At the August UDC meeting, USGS Supervising Hydrologist Guy Foster said that as of April 1, the USGS Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS ) has not funded the measurement of discharge (current flow) and conductance.

Previously: Upper Delaware Council explores new funding sources to measure stream flow in Barryville

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection measures river stage and water temperature in Barryville, which has continued. Foster laments that other partners could participate, but the USGS doesn’t have the funds, $10,000 to $11,000 a year, just for discharge data.

Kurnath said at the August meeting that the cost to repay the gage is high for the NPS to absorb annually.

He said it was helpful to have the discharge data from the Barryville gauge so they could see the impact on the flow of the Lackawaxen River, emptying into the Delaware River upstream. NPS uses discharge information to show river paddling conditions. Several members of the UDC urged the reincorporation of the gage to measure discharge.

Mysterious Japanese snails found in Upper Delaware

The NPS superintendent’s report also discussed the discovery of the Japanese mystery snail, described as a “large invasive gastropod,” at several sites in the Upper Delaware.

According to the USGS, the snail is commonly found in rice paddies in Japan. They live in freshwater rivers and lakes. They were introduced to the US at an Asian food market in San Francisco in 1892. The species reaches very high densities and is considered a nuisance to fishermen, according to the USGS. They are found in large numbers in Lake Erie. They are known to carry parasites. They can reach two centimeters in length.

UPDE has partnered with Drexel University’s Academy of Natural Sciences to develop and monitor ways to remove the snail. The snail “is poorly studied in this region of the United States, which gives us an opportunity to understand its ecology and develop management plans,” the report says. Once the most effective method to remove the screw is found, the UPDE plans to carry out a public awareness campaign.

Other topics

Timothy Dugan, Delaware State Forestry District Forester for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, announced two public information programs about the fluffy moth (formerly known as the gypsy moth): Oct. 24 , 6 p.m., Bushkill Fire Department, 124 Evergreen Drive. , Bushkill; and Oct. 28, 6 p.m., Pike County Training Center, 135 Pike County Blvd., off Route 739, Lords Valley.

Dugan reported that he is seeing much less of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect. He said he has seen fewer than 10 adults in two months instead of dozens, and stated that they seem to last in an area for only a few years before moving on.

The Lackawaxen River Conservancy is preparing to present to Congress its rationale for requesting that the river be classified under the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System, as is the Upper Delaware. UDC Executive Director Laurie Ramie said the Conservancy was invited to present an update at the UDC’s Nov. 7 meeting, before the UDC decides whether to approve providing a letter of support.

The UDC meets on the first Thursday at 7 pm at 211 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, NY. See upperdelawarecouncil.org for more information or call 845-252-3022.

Peter Becker has been with the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

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