Click Here to see the Potomac News Reservoir Newsletter. 

*IMPORTANT* This weekend’s stream cleanup in Frederick, MD, will be switched from Saturday to Sunday due to the forecasted thunderstorms. We hope you can still join us to celebrate Earth Day by making a difference in our environment and our community as we work alongside friends and neighbors to protect our water quality.

Register here >>>

Join us to learn about innovations in sustainable agriculture

WEBINAR: Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture

Friday, May 12, 12-1:15pm

The next installment of our webinar series will be on Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture in the Potomac watershed. Speakers from Swift Aeroseed LLC, Franklin County PA Soil and Water Conservation District, Penn State University, and Rosetree Consulting LLC, will share case studies on innovative sustainable agriculture, including nutrient management, cover cropping, energy and water efficiency, and smart sensing.

This event is one of a series of webinars being held as part of the implementation of the Potomac Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan. Recordings of previous webinars can be found on our YouTube page.

The webinar is free and open to the public.

Register here >>>

Upcoming ICPRB Events

Stream Cleanup: Rock Creek (*RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL 16* in Frederick, MD)

Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest (April 29 near Frederick, MD)

WEBINAR: Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture (May 12, Virtual)

Find these and other events around the Potomac watershed on our Events Calendar.

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Media from around the Basin

Dry weather taking a toll on DC region

WTOP

While winter never showed up with much snow, spring isn’t proving beneficial in terms of bringing rain into the D.C. region — and it’s showing with stream and creek levels.

C&O Canal Boat Tours Are Back for the Season Starting May 5

Washingtonian

This will be the new boat’s second season since rides resumed last year in Georgetown. Here’s how to get tickets.

NSF grant to investigate the role of macrobiota in carbon cycling in estuaries

PennState

This research focuses on two contrasting tidal tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay: the Potomac River, where they found the alkalinity coming into the Bay was high; and the York River, where the alkalinity coming in was significantly lower.

Maryland Spring Trout Stocking Program Continues; Bay Water Warms Up for Gamefish

The Southern Maryland Chronicle

With the arrival of spring in Maryland, the weather has taken a turn for the better, and it’s an excellent time to enjoy the great outdoors. Fishing, in particular, is a wonderful activity, especially for families and children, and the spring trout stocking program continues throughout the state.

Environmental Events to Celebrate Our Planet

The Washington Informer

If you’re looking for a way to give back, learn something new or enjoy art that appreciates nature, check out these events going on this week and next.

St. Mary’s County to Purchase New Water Taxi with $219,000 Grant

The Southern Maryland Chronicle

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County announced that the new water taxi will provide reliable rides for visitors to St. Clement’s Island State Park and will be accessible from pier to boat for wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, etc.

Expanded Weapons Testing On The Potomac River Leaves Many Waterman Concerned

The BayNet

A bureaucratic notice posted in the Federal Register in December 2022 has drawn the concern of many residents, especially the watermen. The notice requests public comment on a proposed 20-mile expansion of the middle “danger zone”.

Eastern PWC drinking water exceeds limit on ‘forever chemicals’

Prince William Times

As the Environmental Protection Agency prepares to regulate a group of chemicals called PFAS in drinking water throughout the country, a preliminary test in 2021 showed that the water on the eastern side of Prince William County, which comes from the Occoquan Reservoir, was over the newly proposed limit.

Fishing Season Kicks Off Slowly Due to Cold Weather

The Southern Maryland Chronicle

The start of the fishing season has been slow due to chilly weather, but things are starting to pick up as the temperatures rise.

Dominion shares Possum Point landfill plans, Bailey noncommittal

Potomac Local News

Dominion Energy is bullish on placing its remaining coal ash in a $347 million landfill at Possum Point.

Bald Eagles Return to Bladensburg Waterfront Park Amid Anacostia River Cleanup

The Hyattsville Wire

You can now regularly spot bald eagles at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park.

How you can prepare during Flood Awareness Month

WUSA9

Did you know that flooding is the number one natural hazard in Maryland? From the mountains to the coastal plains, everyone in the state is susceptible to flooding.

PRESS RELEASE

March 28, 2023

A PDF of this press release is available here.

On this day in 1993, an oil spill in a suburban Virginia town wreaked havoc on the Potomac River. It put drinking water at risk, created toxic fumes, and decimated local wildlife. The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) explores the impacts on drinking water resources that endure three decades later.

Booms capturing oil along Sugarland run (ICPRB Potomac News Reservoir, March 1993).

Thirty years ago today, a pipeline owned by Colonial Pipeline Co. — which runs from Texas to New York — ruptured and spilled almost 408,000 gallons of fuel oil in a suburban area of Northern Virginia. Contemporary reports note a geyser of oil the height of a 10-story building was observed behind a local hospital. Oil flowed into the local creek, Sugarland Run, and quickly found its way to the Potomac River, just upstream of drinking water intakes.

According to Congressional hearings, the disaster caused severe impacts on wildlife and national parklands. It resulted in $25 million in clean-up costs and a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Federal government, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Pockets of oil were detected as far down the Potomac River as Quantico, Va.

An ICPRB article written at the time states that due to high flows and a quick response from emergency personnel, the spilled oil was quickly removed or dispersed, however, Fairfax Water’s drinking water intake on the Potomac was forced to shut down for almost two weeks.

“While our spill notification system has improved since that time, our region’s drinking water is still vulnerable to contamination events,” said Mike Nardolilli, ICPRB’s Executive Director.

According to Nardolilli, the Potomac River supplies 78% of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s public drinking water. Moreover, D.C. and Arlington only have a one-day supply of back-up water should the Potomac River become unavailable due to drought or contamination.

“This anniversary reminds us that we need to make our water supply more resilient by supplementing our existing sources of drinking water,” added Nardolilli.

In a step towards resiliency, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) included provisions to explore supplemental storage options for D.C.-area residents in the recent Water Resources Development Act of 2022. Funding for that study, estimated to cost $3 million and take three years, still must be appropriated.

Noting the anniversary of the Colonial Pipeline spill, Congresswoman Norton asserted,

“There is an urgent need for Congress to appropriate the necessary funds to study how to protect the drinking water in the National Capital Region from serious vulnerabilities like what occurred on March 30, 1993.”

A presentation with more information on this event was given during the recent ICPRB Commission Meeting on March 7, 2023. A video of the presentation can be found on the ICPRB YouTube page.

The conference will be held on September 21, 2023. It will highlight the state of the science, case studies, equity and environmental justice considerations, policy implications, management actions, and funding considerations for climate change in the Potomac River basin.

We are seeking presenters to share their expertise in these and other related areas. If you are interested in presenting, please complete the Call for Presenters Form by COB Friday, April 21, 2023.

Sign up for email notifications of the conference by completing the Information Signup form.

This event currently is planned as an in-person conference (location is TBD but expected to be in the Metro DC area). The ICPRB is committed to the health and safety of staff, speakers, and attendees. As the conference date approaches, we will assess the safety of the of the event and will shift to a virtual event if needed.