Spring 2009 President's Message

April showers continue to fall as I write this but yet much of the Commonwealth remains well below normal with regard to past 90-day expected precipitation. The National Weather Service indicates that January to March of 2009 was the second driest “January to March” on record in Pennsylvania. Groundwater levels continue to be low and as the summer growing season is upon us we do not expect much in the way of recharge without significant extended periods of rain. Does any of this information provide a window to the next three months?
During our conference this past October, our keynote speaker challenged us to accept that stationarity is dead. The concept of stationarity, which has us believe that future hydrologic events can be predicted from past recorded history, has long provided water resource managers with comfort in thinking that a particular design would provide enough water for a given community or a flood wall was adequately high to hold back even the largest of floods. To accept this challenge, and abandon a long held dogma of water resources management, fully recognizes the uncertainty we have all attempted to sidestep at one time or another and may actually present the biggest challenge of our time. So what does the 1,000 year floodplain look like anyway?
Now, more than ever, we need associations like PA-AWRA to step forward and take a leadership role! Our Association is built on the foundation of community, conversation, and connections. By coming together and discussing the most pressing issues of the day we are able to learn from one another and provide a unified certain voice in a time of unparalleled uncertainty.
The PA-AWRA Board of Directors is busy planning our fall conference which will be held at Lycoming College, October 22-23. This year we are breaking with tradition and planning a two day conference. The first day will provide a field trip to see and learn about natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale. The second day will be filled with many interesting presentations focused around the topics of our aging infrastructure and burgeoning energy generation with respect to water resources. Please save the date now and plan to join us in October for what promises to be a rewarding experience!
It is a pleasure serving as your President and I would welcome your thoughts as to what PA-AWRA can do to better serve you and the Community at large.

Benjamin Pratt, P.E.