River Report – Drought Monitoring suspended, for now
After less than a week of daily Drought Monitoring, we are back to normal operations after suspending the daily reporting on July 1.
However, as of this morning, the flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage is hovering at the Drought Monitoring threshold of 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). The adjusted flow at Little Falls was below the 10th percentile on July 1.
ICPRB CO-OP staff will be monitoring the flows and forecast to determine whether we will be going back into Drought Monitoring. It is not unusual to have Drought Monitoring in fits and starts throughout the dry season.
Follow #droughtmonitoring on social media to get up-to-date Drought Monitoring information from ICPRB.
Drought is still in the news, from lawn care tips to increased fire danger. June was the fourth driest on record for the DC area. The excessive heat could lead to harmful algal blooms which can be dangerous to humans and pets in the water. Shenandoah National Park has closed fishing due to low flows. Some municipalities, like Strasburg, Virginia, are grappling with an equitable approach to drought restrictions while other Virginia counties are asking folks to voluntarily conserve water.
The best way to beat the heat is by getting in the water. Even with the low river flows, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the plethora of outdoor adventures this region has to offer. Join ICPRB and the Potomac Riverkeepers next Friday for a kayak and snorkel adventure in the Shenandoah, Seneca Rocks Discovery Center is offering snorkel programs through the summer, and there is a new outdoor outfitter to check out.
Bringing our Partners Together
Last week, ICPRB gathered our Federal partners for a day of collaboration and inspiration at the Reservoir Center for Water Solutions. The day focused on identifying areas of common interest and opportunities to collaborate with our Federal partnerships to implement the Potomac River Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan.
Projects and partnerships were discussed while attendees learned about ICPRB’s scientific research, regional collaboration, and educational programs. There was inspired conversations, creative thinking, and camaraderie as we worked together towards our parallel goal of protecting our shared natural resources. Future project ideas that were discussed will address better spill response, expand data management, collaborate on educational opportunities, include more diverse communities, and much more. See more pictures on our Facebook page >>>
We’re Growing new Mussels
Thanks to everyone that joined us for last Saturday’s Walk in the Woods: Mussel Power! We had such a blast learning all there is to know about freshwater mussels with our friends at Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and our esteemed expert, Jorge Bogantes.
Did you know that some mussel species can live up to 100 years? The average alewife floater or eastern lampmussel that one would encounter in the Anacostia Watershed has a lifespan of 30-40 years. Of course, that’s if a muskrat or blue catfish doesn’t get to them first.
We even got to welcome a fifth species to the Anacostia (eastern elliptio)!
This wraps up our spring/summer Walk in the Woods series of free, fun, and informative hikes. We start the series again this fall with a couple events on the calendar already.
See more pictures of Walk in the Woods: Mussel Power on our Facebook post >>>
Sad News at ICPRB
It is with heavy hearts we report the passing of an MDE colleague and friend, Sajan Pokharel. Staff has fond memories of the many hours Sajan spent at office collaborating on water modeling projects.