Finding a Lost River, reviving a forgotten river, and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir > > >

Are you seeing green?

Does the warm weather, birds singing, and flowers blooming have you seeing green all around? What about in the water?

On the evening of April 30th, ICPRB staff, in coordination with our West Virginia partners, deployed a bright green dye into the lower Lost River. Although we’re a little late for St. Patrick’s Day, the dye will help scientists understand how water travels underground in a complex geological environment.

During dry weather, the Lost River disappears underground and reappears as the Cacapon River. The geological connection between the two rivers is not fully understood.

As the food grade dye sinks into the cracks and fissures in the Lost River, ICPRB scientists will monitor and map the color as it reemerges at springs throughout the Cacapon watershed. To help us track the dye, staff installed passive carbon pack collectors (essentially fish tank carbon filters) throughout the watershed.

The safe dye will degrade and wash away in only a few days, leaving the Cacapon as it was before (if a bit less festive).

If you are familiar with the geology in the region, you can help our scientists by identifying springs and ground water sinks in the Lost River Valley, Rio Valley, or Upper Cacapon.

Watershed moments — What to celebrate this week: Drinking Water Week

What do your coffee maker, a brewery, and you have in common? They all need clean drinking water to function properly. Drinking Water Week is a time to celebrate our most vital resource and those who work to protect it.

Ways to celebrate Drinking Water Week (May 5-11):

• Learn where your drinking water comes from
• Discover new ways to be more water efficient
• Participate in a local river clean up

Thank you to all the water resource professionals who work hard to make sure our taps work when we need them (and our coffee maker, too!). Join the conversation using #drinkingwaterweek on your favorite social media platforms.

Webinar on Data Centers & Solar, watershed moments, White’s ferry tale saga continues, and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir – April 18, 2024 >>>

ICPRB Webinar: Water Resources Impacts of Data Centers and Solar Fields and Tools to Mitigate Impacts

Interested in the intersection of data centers, solar fields, and water resources in the Potomac River watershed? Join ICPRB for a webinar on Friday, May 10 at noon to learn about the water resources impacts of data centers and solar fields in the Potomac watershed. We’ll also discuss tools to mitigate and prevent those impacts. The panel will feature speakers from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, and Loudoun Water.

This event is being held as part of the implementation of the Potomac River Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan.

Watershed moments – what to celebrate this week

Earth Day is Monday, April 22. One impetus for the national push for a this day to inspire environmental action was Silent Spring, a groundbreaking book which linked pollution to real impacts to both the environment and human health. The book was written by biologist and writer Rachel Carson, a resident of the Potomac River basin.

Looking for ways to celebrate? Here are just a few of many options:

• 15 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Around DC (DC Metro)
• Earth Day events, volunteering opportunities (DC Metro)
• Earth Day trash to art contest & Potomac River beach clean-up (King George, VA)
• Earth Day stream cleanup at Sachs Bridge (Gettysburg, PA)

ICPRB in the Community

Below is a list of upcoming events ICPRB is producing or attending. We hope to see you there!

• April 20 – Earth Day Celebration (Frederick, MD)
• April 28 – Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest
• May 4 – Anacostia Festival (Washington, D.C.)
• May 10 – Webinar: Water Resources Impacts of Data Centers and Solar Fields and Tools to Mitigate Impacts
• May 18 – Walk in the Woods: Mussel Power with Anacostia Watershed Society (Washington, D.C.)

Welcoming ICPRB interns, status of the Shenandoah, rockfish in limbo, and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir – April 4, 2024 >>>

Welcoming ICPRB’s 2024 Interns

Nusrat Noor will be joining ICPRB remotely from her home base of Durham, NC where she is working on her Master of Environmental Management at Duke University. She has experience curating and cataloging large collections of aquatic and marine invertebrates at both the Auburn University Museum of Natural History and the Florida Museum of Natural History.

At ICPRB, Ms. Noor will be working closely with the CO-OP team to retrieve and analyze remotely sensed water storage data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) to improve hydrological modeling and forecasting during low flows in the Potomac basin. She is also working to make historic, handwritten water quality datasets held by ICPRB available in electronic format.

Nusrat is originally from Florida and currently lives with her two cats. She enjoys hiking, crocheting, and buying toys for her cats that they never use.

Risa Fish hails from Phoenix, Arizona, where she advocated for clean water and sanitation practices for an organization conducting water projects in Cusco, Peru. She also conducted research and educated the public on water conservation at the Water Conservation Department of the City of Chandler. Already holding a Bachelor of Science in Public Service and Public Policy (Sustainability) from Arizona State University, Ms. Fish is now working on her Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management at Georgetown University, where she expects to graduate this summer. She hopes to remain in the DMV area post-graduation as she has loved living on the East Coast.

During her internship at ICPRB, she will be working on a Spatial Statistical Network modeling project as well as making improvements to our water quality data inventory. As a self-proclaimed “water nerd” she is eager to continue to expand her expertise in the water field and is looking forward to the experiences ICPRB can provide her with.

This is ICPRB’s third year since starting the internship program that educates and encourages future water resources professionals. Check out our YouTube page to see the great work of previous interns.

One Down, Many More to Come

Thank you to our guides, Paul Kreingold and Jon Wolz, and everyone that joined us for our first Walk in the Woods of 2024. We learned the fascinating history of the quarry along the Potomac that supplied the statuesque columns for Statuary Hall in the Capitol. See pictures of our walk (and Potomac marble!) on Facebook.

Sign up for a future Walk in the Woods on our Eventbrite page > > >