October Conference on Delaware's Waters and Water Policies

If you are interested in state wide policies and regulations concerning the use of water in Delaware, there's an upcoming conference that you may wish to consider attending. But you need to act quickly. Registration is required by October 2.

A press release from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) points to a Conference on Delaware Water Policy, set for October 16th at the University of Delaware's Clayton Hall in Newark.

The Conference is a full-day meeting which will examine statewide water policy issues. Registration for the event is required, and the registration form can be found on the University's Water Resources pages. The cost is $25 to attend (which includes materials, lunch, and refreshments), and Senior citizens (65 and over) and students may attend free of charge by registering and requesting complimentary attendance.

The event is sponsored by:

• The Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin


• The Institute for Public Administration


• The Water Resources Agency


• The Delaware Water Resources Center


• The Delaware Section of the American Water Resources Association


• The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Here's the Agenda for the Conference:

2006 Delaware Water Policy Forum Series No. 6

The Delaware: Challenges and Opportunities Affecting a Working and Environmental River

Program Agenda

7:30 Registration and Refreshments

8:30 Welcoming Remarks
Dr. Jerome Lewis, Director
Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware
Dr. Thomas Sims, Director
Delaware Water Resources Center, University of Delaware

8:50 Keynote Speaker - Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin
Robert Molzahn, President

Overview of the Delaware River Basin and the competing environmental, industrial and economic issues in the Basin

9:25 Roundtable Panel Discussion - Challenges and Opportunities for a Working River
Moderator: Robert Tudor, Deputy Director
Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC)

Regulatory Initiatives
Kevin Donnelly, Director
Division of Water Resources, State of Delaware and Alternate Commissioner to the DRBC

Maintaining the River
Mike Arabatzis, Chief of Planning Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District

Emergency Response
Gerald Conrad
U.S. Coast Guard

Water Supply Concerns
Christopher Crockett, Ph.D., P.E.
Philadelphia Water Department

Maritime Issues
Dennis Rochford
Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River & Bay

Industry Perspectives
Marc Gold, Esq.
Manko Gold Katcher & Fox LLP

10:30 Break

10:45 Roundtable Panel Discussion - Challenges and Opportunities for an Environmental River
Moderator: Gerald J. Kauffman, P.E., Director
Water Resources Agency, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware

Reporting on Environmental Conditions: The First State of the Basin Report
Jessica Rittler Sanchez, River Basin Planner
Delaware River Basin Commission

Living Resources, Flora and Fauna in the Delaware Estuary
Kathy Klein, Executive Director
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Successes in Fish and Shellfish Restoration in the Delaware Estuary
Roy Miller, Administrator of Fisheries
Delaware DNREC, Division of Fish and Wildlife

The Reemergence of the Delaware Bay Oyster
(Speaker TBD)
Rutgers University, Bivalve Oyster Laboratory

11:45 Audience Survey, Feedback and Discussion of Key Issues
Moderator: William McGowan
Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware

12:30 Buffet Lunch

1:45 Recent Developments in Water Law and Possible Effects within the Delaware River Basin
Moderator: Robert Collings, Esq.
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP

Kenneth Warren, Esq.
Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP and General Counsel to DRBC

Timothy Weston, Esq.
former DRBC Commissioner representing Pennsylvania now with Kirkpatrick and Lockhart Nicholson Graham

3:00 Summary and Wrap-Up
Dr. Jerome Lewis, Director
Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware

Some information about previous Water Forum Conferences is available on the pages of the Univeristy of Delaware's Water Resources Agency. Here are links to proceedings from previous forums:

• Proceedings of Water Policy Forum Series #5
  - Water-Friendly Landscape Design: A Prescription for Healthy Watersheds
  (1.31MB) published February 2006


• Proceedings of Water Policy Forum Series #4
  - The Historic Christina Basin: Delaware's First Watershed
  (1.3MB) published October 2005


• Proceedings of Water Policy Forum Series #3
  - Land Use Change and Water Quality: Assessing the Impacts and Planning for the Future
  (1.95MB) published July 2004


• Proceedings of Water Policy Forum Series #2
  - Drought.02: A Debate and Panel Discussion Concerning Water Supply Policy in Delaware
  (640K) published February 2003

Other publications from the Water Resouce Agency

This looks like it could be a pretty interesting Conference.