Deer Creek Water Availability Study 05-08 Pub No 256

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Publication No. 256 May 2008

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Paul O. Swartz, Executive Director

Kenneth P. Lynch, N.Y. AlternateKathleen A. McGinty, Pa. Commissioner Cathy Curran Myers, Pa. AlternateJohn T. Hines, Pa. Alternate/Advisor Susan K. Weaver, Pa. Alternate/Advisor Dr. Robert M. Summers, Md. Commissioner Herbert M. Sachs, Md. Alternate/Advisor Brigadier General Todd T. Semonite, U.S. Commissioner Colonel Peter W. Mueller, U.S. AlternateColonel Christopher J. Larsen, U.S. AlternateLloyd C. Caldwell, U.S. Advisor Amy M. Guise, U.S. Advisor

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission was created as an independent agency by a federal-interstatecompact* among the states of Maryland, New York, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the federalgovernment. In creating the Commission, the Congress and state legislatures formally recognized thewater resources of the Susquehanna River Basin as a regional asset vested with local, state, and nationalinterests for which all the parties share responsibility. As the single federal-interstate water resourcesagency with basinwide authority, the Commission’s goal is to coordinate the planning, conservation,management, utilization, development and control of basin water resources among the public and privatesectors.

*Statutory Citations: Federal - Pub. L. 91-575, 84 Stat. 1509 (December 1970); Maryland - Natural Resources Sec. 8-301(Michie 1974); New York - ECL Sec. 21-1301 (McKinney 1973); and Pennsylvania - 32 P.S. 820.1 (Supp. 1976).

This report is available on our website atwww.srbc.net/planning. For a CD Rom or for a hard copy, contact theSusquehanna River Basin Commission, 1721 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, Pa. 17102-2391, (717) 238-0423, FAX(717) 238-2436, E-mail:srbc@srbc.net.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................................1I. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................3II. GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE...........................................................................................4III. HYDROLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS...............................................................................7A. Geology........................................................................................................................7B. Hydrogeology.............................................................................................................10IV. WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY...........................................................................14A. Precipitation................................................................................................................14B. Streamflow..................................................................................................................17C. Extrapolating Results of Field Data to Entire Watershed...........................................30D. Summary of Deer Creek Hydrologic Setting.............................................................33V. WATER USES/NEEDS.......................................................................................................34A. Land Use.....................................................................................................................34B. Recreational Use.........................................................................................................35C. Existing Water Demands............................................................................................36D. Water Budget..............................................................................................................39VI. REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................40A. Deer Creek Scenic River............................................................................................40B. Lower Deer Creek Valley Rural Legacy Area (Maryland)........................................40C. Agricultural Section 319 Targeted Watershed...........................................................40VII. STAKEHOLDERS FOR THE DEER CREEK WATERSHED.......................................42VIII. WATER AVAILABILITY ISSUES................................................................................44A. Establishing Available Water Resources...................................................................44B. Ten- and Twenty-Five-Year Population Projections..................................................56C. Water Demand Projections.........................................................................................60IX. NUMERICAL MODEL OF DEER CREEK WATERSHED............................................68A. Results – Impact of Pumping on Streamflows...........................................................73X. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................77A. Hydrologic Findings...................................................................................................77B. Water Use Findings....................................................................................................77C. Water Availability Findings.......................................................................................78D. Recommendations......................................................................................................79REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................81