Drought conditions worsen in the watershed, partnerships for protecting the Potomac, EJ picking up steam, and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir >>>

The River Report – Over 90% of the basin drought conditions

Adjusted Flow at Little Falls as of Nov. 8, 2023

Our rain deficit continues to grow as we get further into the fall season without precipitation. We are 7.8 inches below average for the past year.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released this morning shows over 90% of the basin in abnormally dry conditions or worse. Almost 8% of the basin is in Extreme Drought conditions.

The current flow is below the 10th percentile, as seen in the graph of the Adjusted Daily Flow at Little Falls. The trend is worrying. The graph includes data from previous pre-drought years as reference points, these being years that led to significant reservoir releases. This year’s adjusted flow closely aligns with the seasonal flows observed in those past years that eventually led to significant drought operations.

ICPRB’s CO-OP staff are closely monitoring the situation and keeping stakeholders informed. This includes a daily report as well as publishing a supplemental Water Supply Outlook. Traditionally, the monthly Water Supply Outlook is published from April to October. However, due to persistent dry conditions, staff published an additional November report.

Read the November Water Supply Outlook >>>

Partnerships Protecting the Potomac

ICPRB organized two important gatherings last week…

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE: The Comprehensive Plan is in the process of a 5-year review thanks to the advisory committee, which is a diverse group of stakeholders helping shape the vision for the future of the Potomac River and its related resources. Last week the group met to give their feedback on the current draft of the 5-year update, which should be finalized and published in the spring.

Click here to see the projects born from the Comprehensive Plan.

POTOMAC RIVER BASIN DRINKING WATER SOURCE PROTECTION PARTNERSHIP (DWSPP): Last week’s annual meeting celebrated the work of this important coalition of water utilities and government agencies working together to protect our drinking water. Presentations included:

• Conservation Assessment for Northern VA Watersheds: Developing NVCT’s Strategic Conservation Plan by Matt Gerhart of NVCT
• Toxic Cyanobacteria: Benthic Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) Communities in Shenandoah River: a collaboration with ICPRB and USGS by Dr. Chris Jones of GMU
• Source Water Quality in a Changing Climate: The Case of Disinfection Byproduct Precursors by Dr. Kirin Furst of GMU

Click here to see a video of the presentations >>>

After the meeting, Dr. Jones led a tour of the labs at the Potomac Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center. GMU students discussed their work on PFAS, algae, and other important research projects to help protect the Potomac River and its tributaries.

A Dry Walk in the Woods

At our last Walk in the Woods of 2023, we explored the Frederick Municipal Forest. The forest is an important source of drinking water for the City of Frederick, Maryland. We have been doing a Walk in the Woods for many years in the region and typically we have several babbling brooks we carefully cross. Our drought conditions were on full display during last Saturday’s hike when we barely saw a trickle over the dry rocks. Regardless, the hike participants enjoyed a lovely day in the woods learning about forest management, trees, and the interesting history of the Frederick Municipal Forest.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for all of our Walk in the Woods in 2023! We look forward to planning more fun ways to get people out and about to enjoy all the Potomac River basin has to offer.

Protecting our river from spills 🦸‍♀️, drought continues ☀️, spooky species in the Potomac River basin 🕷️, and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir 💧 Nov 2, 2023.

The River Report – Flows Continue to Drop

At only 8.1” of rain over the past 3 months, we are 1.9” below average with no relief in sight. Some cities in the basin, including Emmitsburg, MD, and Strasburg, VA, are implementing mandatory water restrictions due to low water levels.

ICPRB CO-OP staff continue to carefully monitor the situation. Daily reports are posted on Twitter/X using #droughtmonitoring.

You may notice the daily ups and downs on the river’s flow at Point of Rocks in the graph, including a recent jump and subsequent dip. These fluctuations are due to dam operations artificially adjusting the flow upstream.

Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst

ICPRB and our utility and government partners work hard to ensure a resilient and reliable water supply for the 5 million+ people who rely on the Potomac River and its tributaries for their drinking water. This week, we took a few days to practice our response to an oil spill in the river, including deploying a boom (see the video).

These exercises help us be prepared for possible spills or other threats to our drinking water. Participants included WSSC Water, Fairfax Water, DC Water, Town of Leesburg, Virginia, Loudoun Water, and government agencies from throughout the Potomac watershed. The event was planned and funded by US Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 with the assistance of ICPRB. See more photos on our Facebook post.

(A Snowy) Winter is Coming

Meteorologists predict up to 6” more snow than average this winter. This will help refill our depleted groundwater, but it will also bring salty runoff into our streams, rivers, and even into groundwater. Our rivers are getting saltier, which is dangerous for aquatic life, our drinking water, and our infrastructure. Recent research event looks at how the issue extends beyond our freshwater supplies.

Last Saturday, a group of people enjoyed a guided hike to learn more about the issue of the overuse of winter salt and what they can do to make a difference. We also founds some spooky species along the way.

More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.

We walked along the Muddy Branch Trail, a 10-mile trail which ends at the Potomac River. The trail begins on the grounds of the Izaak Walton League of America’s national headquarters and ground zero for the Salt Watch program which was born after residents noticed a large pile of winter salt on the road above the Muddy Branch creek.

What can you do to protect our drinking water?

❄️ Shovel before you salt

🧂   Use less salt

🧹  Sweep it up and reuse it next time!

🧪 Get your own Salt Watch kit to monitor a stream near you.

Thanks to the Izaak Walton League of America and the City of Gaithersburg for partnering with us on this hike! We have one final guided hike for 2023. Join us this Saturday at 2:00 pm for the Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest.

ICPRB’s director of program operations, Dr. Heidi Moltz, has been elected as chair of the board of directors of the Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP).

“I am honored and excited to collaborate with ICWP members to improve water resources management and planning policy nationwide. The ICWP mission to enhance the stewardship of the nation’s water resources aligns with our mission to protect and enhance the waters and related resources of the Potomac River basin through science, regional cooperation, and education,” says Dr. Moltz.

Dr. Moltz directs the water resources, aquatic life, and water quality programs at ICPRB, including overseeing the 2023 5-year review of the Potomac Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan.

ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac publish the Water Supply Outlook on a monthly basis between April and October of each year. It provides an update on the possibility of water supply releases from the area’s reservoirs based on long-term precipitation data, flows, and other information for the Potomac basin.

Summary/Conclusions
The Washington metropolitan area has an above-normal probability of releases from its backup water supply reservoirs for the fall of 2023. These releases typically occur in response to low flows resulting from insufficient summer precipitation and low groundwater levels. Due to a dry period, CO-OP Drought Operations occurred from August 25th to September 11th. However, the Potomac basin saw some relief after several rainfall events produced 4.3 inches of precipitation for September, exceeding the monthly average by 0.5 inches. Little Falls’ adjusted stream flows reached a low of 533 million gallons per day (MGD), peaked above average, and are now within the 10th to 50th percentile flow range. Groundwater levels have been slower to recover, and many wells used in ICPRB’s low-flow outlook are now approaching normal levels. This trend is also reflected in the U.S. Drought Monitor, with reduced areas in the basin in the abnormally dry, moderate drought, and severe drought categories. NOAA’s U.S. Seasonal Outlook remains optimistic about drought conditions improving. As flows return to median levels, Point of Rocks has reverted to a flow rate of approximately 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). This flow rate coincides with the established Daily Monitoring threshold, and on October 4th, the CO-OP Section resumed its daily drought monitoring and reporting. Currently, the Potomac River’s flows are adequate to meet the water demands of the Washington metropolitan area without requiring releases from upstream reservoirs. The region has drought-contingency plans to ensure water supply reliability and prevent shortages.

Click here to visit the Water Supply Outlook page for the full report >>>

ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP) was established to serve as a cooperative technical center on water resources in the Potomac basin.