Thirteen Water Withdrawals Still on Hold in Susquehanna River Basin

HARRISBURG – The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC www.srbc.net) announced that 13 separate water withdrawals approved by SRBC in 6 Pennsylvania counties remain temporarily suspended due to localized lower stream flow levels (see below for list of suspended withdrawals).  Of the 13 withdrawals still suspended, 11 are related to water for natural gas projects.      

The suspended withdrawals are part of SRBC’s passby flow requirement to protect aquatic resources and downstream water users.  When streams drop below pre-determined protective flow levels, project sponsors who are required to meet SRBC’s passby requirement must stop taking water.  They cannot resume taking water until streams have recovered above the protected level for at least 48 hours. 

SRBC and its regulated project sponsors monitor real-time stream flow data generated by stream gages maintained and operated by the U.S. Geological Survey.  Regulated project sponsors also are required to install tamper-proof water meters that automatically record their water withdrawals on a daily basis.  SRBC requires that information be reported quarterly, in addition to continuous spot-inspections conducted by SRBC field staff working out of the field office in Sayre, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. 

Water withdrawals still temporarily suspended as of Aug, 30:

BLAIR COUNTY

Smith Transport Warehouse, Bald Eagle Creek 

BRADFORD COUNTY

Chesapeake Appalachia, Chemung River (Barrett)

Talisman Energy, Fall Brook, Seeley Creek and Tributary to North Branch Sugar Creek

Towanda Country Club, Little Wysox Creek 

CLEARFIELD COUNTY

Keister Miller Investments, West Branch Susquehanna 

LYCOMING COUNTY

Pennsylvania General Energy Company, Pine Creek (Poust)

POTTER COUNTY

Ultra Resources, Pine Creek

TIOGA COUNTY

East Resources Management, Cowanesque River

LDG Innovations, Tioga River

Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Unnamed tributary of North Elk Run

Ultra Resources, Cowanesque River