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Office of the Delaware River Master

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By Water Resources Mission Area March 3, 2019

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a Decree in State of New Jersey v. State of New York and City of New York in which the Court established the position of the Delaware River Master.

The Court directed that the River Master perform multiple duties and functions including administering the provisions of the Decree relating to yields, diversions, and releases; conserving the waters of the river; compiling data on the water needs of the parties; checking and correlating streamflow measurements and records; observing, recording, and studying the effect of developments in the watershed on water supply and other uses; and making periodic reports to the Court. 

Since 2007, the Decree Parties have unanimously agreed to a series of Flexible Flow Management Program agreements. On October 21, 2017, the Parties to the Decree (DE, NJ, NY, NYC, PA) signed the 2017 Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP2017).  FFMP2017 is a two-part, ten-year agreement, which guides the current operations of

the ODRM. 

For current information on the Office of the Delaware River Master, please visit: https://webapps.usgs.gov/odrm/

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a Decree in State of New Jersey v. State of New York and City of New York in which the Court established the position of the Delaware River Master.

The Court directed that the River Master perform multiple duties and functions including administering the provisions of the Decree relating to yields, diversions, and releases; conserving the waters of the river; compiling data on the water needs of the parties; checking and correlating streamflow measurements and records; observing, recording, and studying the effect of developments in the watershed on water supply and other uses; and making periodic reports to the Court. 

Since 2007, the Decree Parties have unanimously agreed to a series of Flexible Flow Management Program agreements. On October 21, 2017, the Parties to the Decree (DE, NJ, NY, NYC, PA) signed the 2017 Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP2017).  FFMP2017 is a two-part, ten-year agreement, which guides the current operations of

the ODRM. 

For current information on the Office of the Delaware River Master, please visit: https://webapps.usgs.gov/odrm/