Susquehanna River Basin Commission Overview

THE SUSQUEHANNA

The Susquehanna River is the nation's sixteenth largest river and is the largest river lying entirely in the United States that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Susquehanna and its hundreds of tributaries drain 27,510 square miles, an area nearly the size of South Carolina, spread over parts of the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

The river meanders 444 miles from its origin at Otsego Lake near Cooperstown, N.Y., until it empties into the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace, Md. The Susquehanna contributes one-half of the freshwater flow to the Bay.

The river basin borders the major population centers of the east coast, and although relatively undeveloped, has experienced problems of water pollution and overusage. Because the Susquehanna River flows through three states and is classified as a navigable waterway by the federal government, there are state, regional, and national interests involved. There is a need to coordinate the efforts of three states and the agencies of the federal government, as well as a need to establish a management system to oversee the use of the water and related natural resources of the Susquehanna.

THE COMPACT

These needs led to the drafting of the Susquehanna River Basin Compact, which was signed into law on December 24, 1970. The Compact, as adopted by the Congress of the United States, and the legislatures of New York State, Pennsylvania and Maryland, provides the mechanism to guide the conservation, development, and administration of the water resources of the vast river basin. Susquehanna River Basin Compact (PDF, 51 pages, 133KB)

THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION

The Compact established the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) as the agency to coordinate the water resources efforts of the three states and the federal government.

Each member is represented by a commissioner who serves as the spokesperson for the government that he or she represents. In the case of the federal government, the commissioner and his alternate are appointed by the President of the United States. For the three states, the commissioners are the governors or their designees. The governors also appoint alternate commissioners.

The commissioners, or their alternates, meet periodically to act on applications for projects using water, adopt regulations, and direct planning and management activities affecting the basin's water resources. Each of the four commissioners has a single vote.

Under the leadership of an Executive Director, technical, administrative, and clerical personnel support the daily operations of the Commission.

STATEMENT OF MISSION

The mission of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), which is defined in the Compact, is to enhance public welfare through comprehensive planning, water supply allocation, and management of the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin.

To accomplish this mission, the SRBC works to: reduce damages caused by floods; provide for the reasonable and sustained development and use of surface and ground water for municipal, agricultural, recreational, commercial and industrial purposes; protect and restore fisheries, wetlands and aquatic habitat; protect water quality and instream uses; and ensure future availability of flows to the Chesapeake Bay.

The SRBC is uniquely qualified to carry out this mission. As a federal-interstate compact commission, its focus is defined by the natural boundaries of the river basin rather than the political boundaries of the member states. As such, the SRBC serves as a forum to provide coordinated management, promote communication among the members, and resolve water resource issues and controversies within the basin.

The goals of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission are:

To be responsive to water resource management needs of SRBC's signatory members;
To provide excellent service to the public;
To coordinate management of interstate water resources and serve as an effective forum for resolution of water resource issues and controversies within the basin;
To be a leader in issues concerning the conservation, utilization, allocation, development, and management of water resources within the Susquehanna River Basin;
To encourage excellence in SRBC staff by affording opportunities for professional growth and development and by providing a stimulating work environment for all Commission employees; and
To provide public information and education about the water resources of the basin.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SRBC

SRBC staff develops and implements the programs as directed by the commissioners and as found in SRBC's comprehensive plan, Comprehensive Plan for the Water Resources of the Susquehanna River Basin, http://www.srbc.net/planning/compplanfiles.asp. The six priority management areas of the Comprehensive Plan are listed below, along with goals that are specific to SRBC. SRBC is committed to taking the actions necessary to meet the goals.

A. Water Supply

Support and encourage the sustainable use of water for domestic, industrial, municipal, commercial, agricultural, and recreational activities in the basin Inventories available water resources.
Maintain an equitable system for allocating water for various uses, including the protection of instream flows and receiving waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Ensure sustainability of water sources by improving systems and managing water resources more efficiently.
Mitigate drought impacts through coordination and use of drought emergency powers.
Manage diversions to avoid impacts to the basin’s water resources.
Manage consumptive water use to mitigate impacts to the basin’s water resources.

B. Water Quality

Support and coordinate the efforts of the Commission's member jurisdictions in managing the basin’s water quality.
Monitor and assess the biological, chemical, and physical quality of the basin’s waters to support restoration and protection efforts.
Develop, support, and implement plans and projects to remediate and enhance the basin’s water quality.
Protect the quality of the basin's biological resources and sources of public drinking water supply.
Organize, maintain, and distribute water quality data to facilitate basinwide water quality improvement and protection activities.

C. Flooding

Implement the goals of the strategic plan for the Susquehanna Flood Forecast and Warning System (SFFWS).
Promote protective floodplain management practices.
Improve community flood preparedness to ensure adequate and appropriate response by emergency managers before, during and after a flood event.
Assist the Commission's member jurisdictions, as appropriate, in reducing the introduction of man-made debris into the waters of the Susquehanna River Basin and, ultimately, Chesapeake Bay.

D. Ecosystems

Perform ecosystem monitoring and assessment to provide data needed for effective watershed management.
Protect and restore biological resources throughout the basin and in each of the major subbasins.
Restore populations of migratory fish throughout the Susquehanna River system.

E. Chesapeake Bay

Identify the minimum freshwater inflows needed from the Susquehanna River to assist in restoring and maintaining the ecological health of the Chesapeake Bay, while also identifying opportunities for enhancement.
Develop and implement plans to address the flow requirements in Goal a. above.
Support the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort, including sediment and nutrient reduction strategies developed by each of the Commission's member states.
Provide habitat for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds found in the Chesapeake Bay.

F. Coordination, Cooperation and Public Information

Continue use of interagency committees and ad hoc committee mechanisms to gather input from member jurisdictions and to encourage consistent interstate water management policies and actions.
Execute, review, and update memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with member jurisdictions to coordinate regulatory or other programs that overlap.
Support uniform water management policies and standards in areas such as water quality, stream classification, flood plain management, instream flow protection, stream passby requirements and aquifer protection.
Coordinate major interagency efforts such as flood forecasting and warning, drought emergency management, water conservation, and hydro power license renewal.
Inform legislators and executive branch policy makers on important issues related to the basin’s water resources.
Inform the public on matters affecting the basin’s water resources and utilize current tools, methods and strategies to effectively reach the public.
Enhance public access to Commission information and decision making procedures.
Involve and seek the advice of non-governmental organizations on the management of the basin’s water resources.