DRBC Drought Plans and Dates of Drought in the Basin

DRBC Water Supply Emergency Information

• June 2025: Ends Water Supply Emergency
  
  
  
  • Resolution 2025-5 (pdf; approved June 11, 2025; ends water supply emergency & allows special permits to expire)
    
    
    
• March 2025: Extends Special Permit
  
  
  
  • Resolution 2025-1 (pdf; approved March 12, 2025; extends drought management special permit)
    
    
    
• December 2024: Approves Drought Management Operations
  
  
  
  • View News Release (issued December 5, 2024)
    
    
  • Resolution 2024-07 (pdf; NOTE: Drought Management Special Permit No. 2024-01 is included in this Resolution as Para. 3 in BE IT RESOLVED section)
    
    
  • Resolution 2024-08 (pdf; NOTE: certain terms of this Resolution operate as the second special permit)
    
    
  • FAQ: DRBC Drought Management (pdf)
    
    
  • Hydrologic Conditions Update (pdf; presentation given Dec. 5, 2024)
    
    
  • November 19, 2024, Special Public Hearing on the persistent dry conditions

Current DRBC Drought Status: NORMAL

• The DRBC's drought management and operating plans are implemented based on the volume of storage available in several key reservoirs. To date, reservoir levels are in the "normal" range.

DRBC Data Dashboards

• Daily Hydrologic Conditions Dashboard (key reservoir storage info, salt front location and flow data)
  
  
• Salt Front Info: Historic Salt Front Data Viewer, Animations and more
  
  
• Flow Data: Daily Water Yield for the DRB, discharge profiles, rainfall plots and more

Basin State Drought Information & Related Links

State drought plans consider factors such as precipitation amounts, soil moisture, streamflows, groundwater levels and local reservoir storage.

July 3, 2025, Status:

• All DRB counties in New York and Pennsylvania are in normal conditions. In the DRB, several counties in New Jersey and all counties in Delaware remain in drought watch.
  
  

Click the above link to learn more.

During drought conditions, the DRBC has several objectives:

• Preserve Reservoir Storage to Protect Water Supply
  
  
• Manage the Salt Front to Repel Salinity
  
  
• Managing in-stream flows in the mainstem Delaware River
  
  
• Complement State Drought Management Programs

New York City Delaware Basin Reservoirs

• NYC DRB Reservoirs

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reservoirs
  
  
  • Beltzville
    
    
  • Blue Marsh

Other DRB Reservoirs

• Lake Wallenpaupack
  
  
• Links to other DRB Reservoirs

DRBC tracks the salt front to protect public water supply & industry in the Delaware Estuary

• Most Recent Salt Front Location

Montague, N.J.

• Montague, N.J. Gage
  
  
  • Under normal conditions, the Montague, N.J. flow target is 1,750 CFS
    

Trenton, N.J.

• Trenton, N.J. Gage
  
  
  • Under normal conditions, the effective flow target at Trenton, N.J. is 3,000 CFS
    

Other USGS Links

• Delaware River Dashboard
  
  
• Links to other DRB USGS stream gages

CFS = Cubic Feet per Second

Basin State Drought Links

• Basin State Drought Information & Related Links

Federal Drought Links

• Federal Drought Links

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"When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." -- Benjamin Franklin

The DRBC believes water conservation should be a lifelong habit, not just during times of drought.

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