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Home My WebLink About09-19-16 WRC Final MinutesTOMPKINS COUNTY WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL 1 Monday, September 19, 2016 2 TCAT Main Office Conference Room 3 Attendance 4 Member Seat Member Seat Sharon Anderson P Cooperative Extension Jon Negley E Soil & Water Cons. District John Andersson P At-Large Frank Proto P At-Large James Balyszak P At-Large Elaine Quaroni P At-Large Fay Benson A Agriculture Marjorie Rinaldo-Lee E Environment Chris Bordlemay P Water Purveyor Michael Thorne P At-Large Cynthia Brock P Recreation Brad DeFrees P Associate Member Ed Bugliosi P USGS (non-voting) George Fowler P Associate Member Liz Cameron E Co. Environmental.Health Michelle Henry E Associate Member Sarah Dwyer E At-Large Roxy Johnston A Associate Member Bill George E Municipal Government José Lozano P Associate Member Barry Goodrich P Watershed Organization John Mawdsley P Associate Member Joan Jurkowich P Co. Planning Department Todd Miller P Associate Member Dooley Kiefer P County Government Steve Penningroth A Associate Member Darby Kiley P Municipal Government Joanne Trutko P Associate Member Lynn Leopold P Municipal Government Tom Vawter P Associate Member Jim McGarry P Environ. Mgt. Council Linda Wagenet E Associate Member 5 A quorum was present. 6 7 Others: Siphasha Dlamini, Humphrey Fellow with Cornell University; Kristen Hychka, Brooktondale resident 8 9 Call to Order – Chair Darby Kiley called the meeting to order at approximately 4:18 PM. 10 11 Agenda Review and Approval of Minutes – Ed Bugliosi asked for time on the agenda to report on lead 12 contamination at the Lansing Rod and Gun Club. Motion by Frank Proto, seconded by Lynn Leopold, to accept 13 the agenda as is but with Ed’s request incorporated. Motion passed unanimously. 14 15 Approval of Minutes – Motion by John Andersson, seconded by Mike Thorne, to approve the minutes of July 18, 16 2016, as distributed. Draft minutes corrected as shown in final minutes. Motion passed unanimously. 17 18 Presentation: 2016 Drought – Status and Responses – Chris Bordlemay reviewed the 2016 drought and responses 19 by Cornell University. His presentation included how a drought is determined, the causes of the 2016 drought 20 (below average snowfall, no snowpack, record low rainfall), and responses by Cornell (including a voluntary 21 limited water advisory on July 7 and a Level 2 water restrictions on July 28). He noted Cornell University, the 22 City of Ithaca, Bolton Point, and the Department of Health regularly meet to plan for and coordinate responses to 23 changing conditions. A copy of the presentation is attached to these minutes. 24 25 The Council asked questions about other actions taken by Cornell to reduce water demand. 26 27 ACTION: The Executive Committee will meet to formulate a proposal to look at the relationship between water 28 supply and development in the county. 29 Hydrilla Update – James Balyszak reported that hydrilla treatment was initiated and continues. There was some 30 unhealthy-looking growth found in Fall Creek near the golf course. Bill Foster of the Floating Classroom 31 discovered some suspicious growth that led to the discovery of hydrilla in Wells College Bay in Aurora. 32 33 Committee Reports 34 • Nominating/Membership Committee – Elaine Quaroni: Emails have been sent to members whose terms 35 are expiring in 2016. 36 • Watershed Assessments Committee – John Andersson: A written report is attached to these minutes. 37 • Watershed Rules and Regulations Committee – Chris Bordlemay: The Cornell and City of Ithaca rules 38 and regulations are being updated. 39 40 Chair’s Report – no report. 41 42 Staff Report – Joan Jurkowich: A new administrative assistant, Kristin McCarthy, will be starting in October. 43 44 Announcements – no announcements. 45 46 Adjournment – Motion by Frank Proto, seconded by Lynn Leopold, to adjourn. Motion passed by unanimous 47 voice vote at 5:35 PM. 48 49 Prepared by Joan Jurkowich, Planning Administrator, Tompkins County Planning Department 50 Approved by Water Resources Council: October 17, 2016 51 2016 Drought – Status and ResponseSeptember 19th, 2016WRC How do we determine when there is a drought in NYS?--While most of us know that a drought is a prolonged period of dryness, the definition and information used to formally declare a drought is more complex. Meteorologists and hydrologists have their own precise definitions of drought. When meteorologists talk about drought they are comparing precipitation shortfalls to normal levels. Hydrologists consider stream flow and water levels in aquifers, lakes, and reservoirs along with precipitation. New York uses elements of both to determine when there is a drought.--The State Drought Index compares four parameters to historic or "normal" values to evaluate drought conditions: stream flows, precipitation, lake and reservoir storage levels, and groundwater levels. New York's Drought Management Task Force uses those factors as well as water use, duration of the dry period, and season to assess drought in different parts of the state.--New York also uses the Palmer Drought Index, a measure of soil moisture calculated by the National Weather Service. The two indices show us different things about drought. The Palmer Index, with its emphasis on soil moisture, helps us understand agricultural impacts. The State Index helps assess the impact on human welfare and the regional economy.http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5011.html Below average snowfall 15/16, and NO snowpackMonth Avg Temp Snowfall NormalDec 40.5 0.8 12.6Jan 24.2 7.6 17.6Feb 27.4 9.5 14.2Mar 38.4 0.2 11.7Apr 40.7 5.4 3.4Snowpack from Feb 21stonward = 0”(except for a few days in early April) U.S. Drought Monitor at the beginning of Summer‐period of extreme lack of rainfall beginning, following an unusually warm and snow‐free winter‐https://i.imgflip.com/17qnmf.gif Fall Creek and Sixmile Creek Watersheds•Fall Creek ~120 mi2•Cornell University source•Intake is “run of river” with no raw water storage•Well‐positioned watershed to “harvest” rain•Withdrawal demand 2‐6 cfs•Sixmile Creek ~36 mi2•City of Ithaca source•Raw water storage behind dams, ~30‐60 days depending on streamflow•Rain can more easily miss the watershed•Withdrawal demand 3‐8 cfs Limited Water Advisory issuedJuly 7thWater Use Restrictions issuedJuly 28thCornell Water Supply August brought well‐timed rains! Streams temporarily increase, but groundwater not recharging. Green drought begins. Pressure to reduce restriction level. 0.71”1.52” Cornell’s Response ‐ Restrictions•Limited Water Advisory July 7th–voluntary restrictions•Drought Emergency Planning Team (DEPT) formed•Little reduction in demand measured•Water Use Restrictions July 28th–mandatory restrictions•Essential uses only•Irrigation restricted•Research facilities limited to essential uses only•Incident Management Team (IMT) formed – reps of all Cornell departments•Aiming for 30% reduction in anticipation of student return August 19th•Achieved 20% reduction to date (BP and City report decreased usage too!) DEPT Actions•Daily, weekly meetings – evaluation of restriction level•Installed temporary tanks at strategic locations on campus •Contracted with trucking company to haul water from Cayuga Lake (LSC wetwell) to deliver to temporary tanks•Replumbed irrigation systems to pump from temp tanks•Athletics, Plantations, Grounds•Captured condensate waste stream at CEP (9000 gpd) in tanker truck for irrigation of trees on campus•Outreach to facilities to reduce water use•Shower heads, disposable dishware, ice machines, process conservation, etc.•Communications to customers, incoming students, staff, etc.•Media outreach – TV, radio, newspapers, email blasts•Confer with applicable professors on stream ecology, hydrologic predictions, forecast Irrigated with pumped lake waterIrrigated with these‐ City of Ithaca, Bolton Point, Cornell, DOH•Many meetings of the three systems and the Department of Health•Several “emergency” meetings with county emergency management, fire, police, communications, politicians and administrations•Evaluated status of systems, supplies and demands•Evaluated interconnectivity – locations, quantities, limitations•Coordinated plans to assist one another in case of severe water shortage•O’Brian and Gere contracted to evaluate options of interconnectivity and alternative supplies in advance of student population return•Mobile treatment units evaluated•Optimization of City system and new water treatment facility•Modification of Bolton Point Plant and distribution system to deliver more than 4.5 MGD•Verify interconnection capabilities of three systems Where are we now?•Remainder of September forecast is dry until 9/29. ‐Accuweather•11 days of insignificant precipitation forecasted•Cornell remains in Mandatory restriction level; monitoring streamflow, precipitation forecasts, groundwater levels; drafting details of Level 3 restrictions while many minds are thinking about drought issues•DOH monitoring City reservoir level to declare state of emergency and impose mandatory restrictions on all three systems, perhaps county•City and Bolton Point continue to request conservation from customers•Bolton Point supplying 0.4 MGD to City of Ithaca to assist with construction•City completing construction of 2ndset of membrane filtration units by end of September and may be able to ween off BP depending on streamflow at the time.•All demands stable and systems able to deliver necessary water Moving forward: Strategic Planning•Plans to confer on how to “drought‐proof” the community•Bolton Point, City of Ithaca, Cornell cooperative efforts•Joint projects?•Additional interconnectivity and redundancy?•Facility improvements/additions?•How much to invest in response to drought vs. benefit of infrastructure change? Questions or comments? Tompkins County Water Resources Council - Watershed Assessment Committee Notes on meeting of September 8, 2016 Meeting Place and Time: TC Planning, 3:30 – 4:30 pm Present: M. R-Lee, B. Goodrich, S. Penningroth, J. Andersson We continued our review of the Assessments: • Which recommendations seem to have been implemented and which haven’t. • Which, if any, recommendations no longer are valid. • Any other items of interest. Barry reviewed Sixmile and Steve, Fall Creek. It appears the that few of the recommendations have been implemented, mostly stream plantings, and those with limited success. We discussed the purposes of the Assessments (validity of past ones; any new ones) John had volunteered to prepare a list from our discussions before this meeting, but did not. Barry remarked that the original focus of the assessments was reducing the impacts of flooding. He suggested that maintaining stream bed elevations would be more relevant as that would help control the transport of nutrients and sediment and help keep streams connected to their floodplains. Steve added that there are two strategies for sediment control: grade control and sediment traps. He also remarked that turbidity monitoring is highly important on a routine basis to calculate sediment transport, and as pre- and post-construction monitoring on projects to establish effectiveness. The assignments: J. Andersson - Salmon Creek J. Jurkowich – Taughannock Creek M. R-Lee – Cayuga Inlet and Buttermilk Creek B. Goodrich – Sixmile Creek S. Penningroth - Fall Creek Future Work: Questions identified in April remaining to be discussed: • How and what information should we be disseminating? • Should the areas of watersheds that extend outside Tompkins County be studied? • Should we recommend new watersheds be studied or recommend older studies be updated? Our mission, as found in the Water Resource Strategy: “Encourage completion of watershed assessments in remaining watersheds and disseminate resulting information.” NEXT MEETING OCTOBER 13, SAME TIME AND PLACE End