ICPRB ramps up Drought Operations with dry conditions across the basin. Also, manatees. All in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir.

It’s dry out there, folks.

The short of it is that river flows are dropping and there is no rain in the 7-day forecast.

Due to these dry conditions, we have initiated Drought Operations. Staff of ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply on the Potomac (CO-OP) are working with water suppliers to prepare two reports per day informing stakeholders on river flow, water use, and weather conditions. The staff also analyzes the need for releases from upstream reservoirs to supplement river flow for drinking water supply to the DC metro area. The Potomac River is the only source of drinking water for the District of Columbia and Arlington, Virginia.

Learn more about Drought Operations in our recent press release and follow the conversation on Twitter using #droughtoperations.

In addition to Drought Operations, CO-OP staff have published the September Water Supply Outlook. This monthly report provides an in-depth look on the possibility of low-flow conditions in the Potomac basin.

The most recent Water Supply Outlook predicts an up to 51% probability that flows will be low enough to require water releases from upstream reservoirs. The report also notes that the area is well-prepared to handle further reductions in flow due to well-designed drought-contingency plans.

Read the full September Water Supply Outlook here >>>

It is always a good idea to conserve water use, but it is more important now than ever. Get some tips and tricks with Earthyeasy’s 45+ Ways to Conserve Water in the Home and Yard.

Celebrating our 2023 Interns

As the summer wraps up, so does our 2023 internship program.

We are grateful for the hard work, innovation, and professionalism shown by our interns and look forward to seeing the great places their careers will take them.

Allyson improved our spill response capabilities using the programming language ‘R’ and collaborated with the Potomac River Basin Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership to communicate the importance of protecting our drinking water.

Kelly dove right into our Water Quality Data Inventory to provide scientists with improved data and a better interface to access that data.

Check out a video of Allyson and Kelly talking about their experience at ICPRB.

Interested in an internship at ICPRB? Our paid internship program is a great way to dip your toes into the world of water resources. We offer a variety of projects depending on an interns skills and interests. The call for applications typically comes out at the end of the year and closes in mid-January, so stay tuned.

PRESS RELEASE: ICPRB Initiates Drought Operations

The Potomac River flow is dropping and with little rain in the forecast, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) is ramping up Drought Operations.

A PDF of this press release is available here.

The staff of ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply on the Potomac (CO-OP) announced the flow of the Potomac River has reached a low significant enough to initiate Drought Operations.

According to Dr. Schultz, Director of ICPRB’s CO-OP, “Today we are initiating CO-OP Drought Operations, per the Water Supply Coordination Agreement (WSCA) of 1982. According to the WSCA, Drought Operations is triggered when flow in the Potomac River at Little Falls, plus Washington metropolitan area Potomac withdrawals, ‘is projected to be less than twice the projected withdrawals for any of the next five days.’”

Follow the conversation on Twitter using #droughtoperations.

Dr. Schultz explains that during Drought Operations, CO-OP staff produce twice-daily reports to stakeholders regarding flow, weather, and demand conditions. The staff uses river flow forecasts to determine whether changes in operations are needed to meet upcoming water demands. These include releases from upstream reservoirs, Jennings Randolph and Little Seneca, to augment Potomac River flow.

Before today’s announcement, Schultz said CO-OP staff activated drought monitoring last Friday, which entails one daily communication to stakeholders that closely monitors the situation but does not provide recommendations.

Drought monitoring is not uncommon for the drier months of fall. Shultz points out that there was indication of an especially dry summer to come when earlier this spring the Potomac River flow at Point of Rocks dropped below the drought monitoring threshold of 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). This is an uncommon occurrence so early in the year.

While Drought Operations are unusual, they are not unprecedented.

“In 1999, a record low June flow was observed in the river and we began Drought Operations. As a result, the first water supply release ever was made from the Jennings Randolph Reservoir over a several-week period, relieving stress from the low flow conditions downstream,” explains Michael Nardolilli, Executive Director of ICPRB. Additional reservoir releases were made during the Drought Operations of 2002 and 2010.

According to Nardolilli, “Cooperative operations among the three major water suppliers, with coordination and technical support provided by ICPRB’s CO-OP, ensured that sufficient water was always available in the river to meet water supply needs and to maintain the environmental flow recommendations at Great Falls and Little Falls.”

As in previous droughts, the CO-OP staff will closely monitor the situation. Dr. Schultz states, “The DC Metro area’s water supply is well protected due to decades of careful planning and preparation.”

Nardolilli says it is always a good idea to be mindful of our water use. He provides some examples, including turning off the tap when we are not actively using water like when we are brushing our teeth or doing the dishes, running the dishwasher and laundry only when you have a full load, and try to reduce the amount of water we use on landscaping, which is a significant portion of summer water-use.

The ICPRB is an interstate compact commission established by Congress in 1940. Its mission is to protect and enhance the waters and related resources of the Potomac River basin through science, regional cooperation, and education. Represented by appointed commissioners, the ICPRB includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the federal government.

The ICPRB will hold its fourth quarter business meeting on September 12, 2023, at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. This will be the first in-person business meeting since 2020. The agenda includes a presentation about improvements to our seasonal forecasting projects like the Water Supply Outlook, an overview of the Comprehensive Plan 5-year review process, and updates on other projects.

The public is invited to attend the meeting, however, there will not be a virtual meeting option. Please contact us for more information on how to attend.

In the case of a drought, there are several upstream reservoirs which are used as storage if we need to supplement the river’s flow to provide sufficient water to downstream communities. ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP) provides a monthly Water Supply Outlook which explores precipitation data, flows and other data to provide the possibility of water supply releases from these reservoirs. The report is an analysis of where the Potomac watershed stands with regards to water supply and drought preparation.

The August report found an above-normal probability of releases from the Washington metropolitan area’s backup water supply reservoirs for the 2023 summer and fall seasons. These releases are typically prompted by low flows resulting from a combination of insufficient summer precipitation and low groundwater levels. July’s average precipitation in the Potomac Basin was 0.4 inches below normal. Although recent rainfall improved conditions reported in the U.S. Seasonal Outlook and the U.S. Drought Monitor, on July 28th, CO-OP resumed daily drought monitoring. Presently, the Potomac River flow at the U.S. Geological Survey’s gage in Point of Rocks, Maryland, remains below CO-OP’s daily monitoring trigger of 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). The basin is also experiencing a long-term cumulative precipitation deficit of approximately 6.4 inches below normal (11 to 12 percent below normal). As a result, the adjusted stream flow at Little Falls remains below normal but remains above the 10th percentile, while groundwater monitoring wells used in the outlook indicate below-normal levels.

Despite the current conditions, the Potomac River’s flow is adequate to meet the water demands of the Washington metropolitan area without requiring releases from upstream reservoirs. Thanks to well-designed drought-contingency plans, the area is well-prepared to handle further reductions in flow.

Click here to read the full report >>>