The DEP notified local officials that releases will resume today, distributing the following statement:

NYCDEP Bureau of Water Supply will begin releasing water from the Ashokan Reservoir through the Release Channel starting today. The release will be ramped up to a rate not to exceed 600 million gallons per day. Activation of the release channel is made to create more room in the reservoir to capture projected runoff and will help to minimize impacts to the water supply. Such releases have the added benefit of further enhancing the flood protection the reservoir already provides downstream. We will continuously monitor the release rates and adjust as necessary. Additional notifications will be made as required. Thank you for your cooperation.

Releases were shutdown yesterday evening when the Mt. Marion Stream gauge reached “Action Stage.” Now that the stream level has dropped, releases are allowed by the Interim Release Protocol, which provides for “Operational Releases” to prevent spilling of turbid water from the West Basin to the East Basin of the Ashokan Reservoir.