Water
DAVE HEICHER
Program Specialist
Susquehanna River
Basin Commission
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Have you ever been concerned
about your farm’s water supply?
Maybe you should be.
Disputes over water use have
long been part of this nation’s his
tory whether they have been
between neighboring slates, mun
icipalities, or adjoining property
owners. Areas that have exper
ienced population, industrial, or
cortimercial growth are at
increased risk for water use con
flicts. The potential for conflicts
also increases during times of
drought
During the drought of 1995,
many small streams in the New
York portion of the Susquehanna
River basin went completely dry
or were reduced to a mere trickle.
Even larger streams such as the
Tioughnioga, Chenango, Che
mung, Cohocton, Canisteo, and
upper Susquehanna Rivers had
severe reductions in flow.
The situation also was critical
in the Pennsylvania and New
York portions of the basin, where
many streams and rivers had flows
that were far below normal sum
mertime levels. In September
1995, flow in the Susquehanna
River at Harrisburg was as low as
2,360 cubic feet per second (cfs),
compared to the long-term aver
age September flow of 11,410 cfs.
By the end of August 1995,30
Pennsylvania water systems insti
tuted voluntary or mandatory
water restrictions because of
drought conditions. More water
systems followed suit in
September.
Although many agricultural
operations were affected by the
drought, the impact on farmers
was not nearly as great as it would
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Withdrawal
have been if the drought had
occurred earlier in die growing
season.
If you live in the Pennsylvania
portion of the Susquehanna River
basin, you can help protect your
existing water needs through the
Susquehanna River Basin Com
mission’s (SRBC’s) agricultural
water withdrawal registration
program.
Registration is required for all
types of surface and ground-water
withdrawals in the Pennsylvania
portion of the Susquehanna River
basin that exceed 10,000 gallons
per day‘averaged over a 30-day
period.
The Commonwealth of Pen
nsylvania, in consultation with the
SRBC, is adminstering the
registration program for indust
rial, municipal, institutional, and
recreational withdrawals.
The SRBC is handling the agri
cultural water withdrawal
registration program. There is no
fee associated with registration.
By registering, you can:
• Document your existing water
use to establish a stronger legal
position if future water use con
flicts develop.
• Have your water use needs
considered, especially during
times of drought
• Assist the SRBC in making
wise water management decisions
that can affect your farm.
• Bring your farm into com
pliance with the registration
program.
Some examples of agricultural
operations that would typically
use more than 10,000 gallons per
day include:
• Commercial irrigation of
cropland.
• Dairy operation with more
than 200 cows.
• Beef cow/calf operation with
more than 500 cows.
Now you can control foxtails, lambsquarters
and nightshades with scissors.
I , 1
I
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Offer varies by stale where grower resides Must be purchased by Aug 31.1996 Always follow label directions */™ Trademarks. American Cyanamid Company ®1996
Registration Can Benefit Farmers
No Coupon Required / See your AgnCenler Dealer
SAVE $2.00
an acre• on
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When you use PROWL* and PURSUIT* herbicides, you get the best
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see your Cyanamid AgnCenter™ dealer or call 1-800-942-0500.
AgriCenter/^
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Prafattlanallam • Sarvlea • Inviranmantal Raapanaikility
1995 low flow conditions in ths Sinnemahoning Creek in Cameron County.
• Beef finishing operation with
more than 1,000 head.
• Swine feeder production oper
ation with more than 900 sows.
• Swine farrow to finish opera
tion with more than 2SO sows.
■ Swine finishing operation
with more than 2,000 hoes.
• Poultry operation with more
than 250,000 pullets or broilers.
• Poultry operation with more
than 125,000 layers.
• Poultry operation with more
than 100,000 turkeys.
The above list should only be
used as a general guide to the
types of farming operations that
use 10,000 gallons per day. Far
mers with several types of opera
tions and those that operate eva
porative cooling systems will need
to consider their total water use.
Although farmers withdrawing
less than 10,000 gallons per day
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 13, IMB-A27
are not required to registcrc, they
may wish to do so to protect their
existing water use.
If you are a Maryland farmer in
the Susquehanna River basin,
your water withdrawal informa
tion will be provided to the SRBC
by the State of Maryland, elimi
nating your need to register
separately.
In New York, fanners are pre
sently unable to register their
withdrawals with the SRBC
because the state has not yet
Calf, Embryo Sale
To Support 4-H
MARION (Franklin Co.)
The Franklin County Calf Sale will
be held on Friday, April 19 at the
approved the SRBC registration
program.
Many agricultural groups and
individuals worked long and hard
with the SRBC to develop the
registration program. The SRBC
also held a series of public hear
ings before the registration prog
ram was adopted.
The Pennsylvania State Grange,
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and
other testified at the hearings in
support of the registration
(Turn to Page A 32)
Marion Auction Service, Exit 4,
Int 81 at 7:00 p.m.
The Calf Sale will
offer an outstanding
* group of Holstein and
"n Jersey show age calves
O with deep pedigrees.
X Proceeds from the calf
“4 sale support the Frank-
lin County 4-H Dairy
P Program.
W Immediately follow
• ing the Calf Sale an Elite
Embryo Auction will be
!” held u> benefit the
Franklin County Junior
• Holstein Dairy Bowl
® Team who will repre
w sent Pennsylvania in the
® National Holstein Jr.
c Dairy Bowl Contest in
Texas this June.
33 The team members
would like to thank the
"1 following breeders and
businesses for their
■ generous donations to
• the Elite Embryo Auc
z tion: Alan and Mark
Meyers, Tidy Brook
0 Farms; Rick Wadle
1 Farms; Robert and
Audrey Mong, Afton
w Spring Farms; The Bur
-1 dettes. Windy Knoll
View; and Ronald
° Kling, New Vision
Transplants. Also sell
w ing is a flush from Mid
• Maryland Dairy Veter
q inarians, Inc. valued up
q to $500.00. Em Tram
0 Inc. will provide the free
transplant of the Antrim
Spring embryo.
m Call 717-263-0416 or
00 717-328-3222 for more
C information.
30