Conditions are improving. After a month of drought operations and drought monitoring, rain in the basin is now 1 inch above normal for the month of September. We were able to suspend drought monitoring on Monday due to rising river flows. Additionally, the recent U.S. Drought Monitor has shown improvement in drought conditions across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Even with the recent rain, some municipalities in the western part of the Potomac basin are still encouraging people to be water wise as we recover from a the dry spring and summer seasons.
We are no longer providing a daily report to downstream water suppliers on flow, water consumption, and weather conditions. However, if the river flow falls below our drought monitoring threshold of 2,000 cubic feet per second at the Point of Rocks USGS gage, we will resume drought monitoring operations.
2023 Potomac River Conference: One River’s Perspective on a Changing Climate
The 2nd annual Potomac River Conference was held last week. The event featured speakers from government agencies, academia, and nonprofit organizations. They highlighted trends in the Potomac basin, regional resilience, government innovations, on-the-ground implementation, as well as equity and environmental justice considerations for climate change in the Potomac River basin.
We would like to thank the numerous organizations and individuals who provided their support, knowledge, and elbow grease to make this event happen, including the staff at Fairfax Water where it was held.
We are currently looking for sponsors to help make the 2024 Potomac River Conference another successful symposium. Please let us know if your organization might be interested.
The 2nd annual Potomac River Conference was hosted by ICPRB and held at Fairfax Water in Lorton, Virginia, on Thursday, September 21, 2023. The event highlighted trends in the Potomac basin, regional resilience, government innovations, on-the-ground implementation, as well as equity and environmental justice considerations for climate change in the Potomac River basin.
The 2023 Potomac River Conference was dedicated to Curtis Dalpra, who passed away in March of 2023. During his long tenure in the Communications Department at ICPRB, Curtis was always willing to share his knowledge of the basin and its storied past. During his 41 years at ICPRB, he championed good stewardship of the Potomac River. Let us all continue that legacy.
Videos and Presentations
A video of the conference and links to the presentations can be found below.
Video: Sessions 1-3
Session 1: Opening
Moderator – Michael Nardolilli, ICPRB
In Memoriam Curtis Dalpra – Michael Nardolilli, ICPRB
Welcome to Fairfax Water – Jamie Hedges, Fairfax Water
Welcome to the 2023 Potomac River Conference – Robert Sussman, ICPRB Chair
Assessing the sources of pesticides in the Potomac River Watershed through wastewater reuse modeling – Samuel Miller, Daniel Burns, and Kaycee Faunce, USGS
After weeks of conducting intense Drought Operations while watching the river flow decline, we received almost 2 inches of rain over the past 7 days.
The river flow increased enough for us to shift to a more-lowkey drought monitoring, which includes one daily report to downstream water suppliers.
This morning’s drought monitoring report noted, “River flows at Point of Rocks and Little Falls have increased to the median values and are now beginning to recede.” There is no rain expected in the next 7 days.
Many areas in the western part of the basin are still in drought warning or emergency. We continue to see new consequences from the dry conditions, including a mostly-contained wildfire in the Shenandoah National Park and a newly unveiled, historical dam underneath the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.
ICPRB Elects New Leadership
On Tuesday, commissioners and staff attended our annual business meeting at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). The meeting commenced with a land acknowledgement by the NCTC’s director before the CO-OP meeting and a welcome speech from the mayor of Shepherdstown, West Virginia before the ICPRB business meeting. During the meeting, the commissioners elected new officials, learned about new drought modeling capabilities, and voted on updates to the Low Flow Allocation Agreement.
Commissioner Susan Weaver, representative of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was elected as the 2024 chairperson. We would like to thank the outgoing chair, Commissioner Robert Sussman, representative of the federal government, for his hard work moving ICPRB forward over the past year.
Since this was our first in-person meeting since the pandemic, we took the opportunity to honor the commissioners that have joined us in the past few years by presenting each new commissioner with an official ICPRB pin.
The meeting was followed by an informative guided tree walk around the grounds. More photos of the event can be found on our Facebook post.
Commissioners (from left to right): Lee Currey (MD), Catherine McCabe (MD), Robert Sussman (Fed.), Scott Morris (VA), Mindy Neil (WV), Susan Weaver (PA), and Will Willis (PA)
The Commissioners of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) have elected Susan Weaver, representative of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as ICPRB’s chairperson for 2024. Weaver is a Program Manager at the Office of Water Programs of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Previously, Weaver served as the vice chair of ICPRB.
ICPRB’s executive director, Michael Nardolilli, states, “Pennsylvania may only be 10% of the Potomac River basin, but it is an important part of the river’s headwaters. We look forward to working closely with Chairperson Weaver and her team.”
The ICPRB is represented by three commissioners and three alternate commissioners from each of the five signatory jurisdictions (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania) and the federal government. Each year, the chairperson of ICPRB rotates among the jurisdictions.
The ICPRB Commissioners have selected Scott Morris, representative of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to serve as vice chairperson.
The outgoing chairperson is Robert Sussman, representative of the federal government. Nardolilli noted, “We would like to thank Chairperson Robert Sussman for his hard work and dedication to ICPRB and our mission of protecting and preserving the Potomac River through science and cooperation.”
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 river flow is low, but there might be some small relief in the future. The long-term forecasts call for 1 to 2 inches of rain. The trajectory of Tropical Storm Lee is still up the air, but it could bring some rain as it heads our way.
Some communities across the watershed are asking people to conserve. Front Royal (VA) has enacted emergency water conservation rules which bans activities like filling pools, washing cars, and watering outdoor plants. Gettysburg (PA) and the City of Frederick (MD) have requested voluntary reductions in water use. Purcellville (VA) noted dry wells and creeks when it asked customers to conserve. The Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River compiled a list of drought advisories in the Shenandoah region in their recent newsletter.
It is always a good idea to use water wisely, but if you are curious about the situation at your own tap, we suggest checking with your water utility.
ICPRB is continuing Drought Operations with twice daily reports to water suppliers on the river’s flow, water use, and weather forecasts. This intense monitoring will continue until flows increase. At this point, our technical staff have not recommended releases from upstream reservoirs. Follow the conversation on Twitter and Facebook using #DroughtOperations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The ICPRB, through its Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP), coordinates water supply operations during times of drought and recommends releases of stored water. These operations ensure adequate water supplies for Washington metropolitan area water users and for environmental flow levels. The Water Supply Outlooks are published by CO-OP on a monthly basis between April and October. They are meant to provide an update on the possibility of low-flow conditions in the Potomac basin.
The September Water Supply Outlook states there is a much 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. August’s average Potomac Basin precipitation was 0.8 inches below normal as of the 29th, with a long-term (12-month) cumulative deficit of about 7.1 inches (11 to 25 percent below normal). Consequently, Little Falls’ adjusted stream flow remains below average yet above the historical minimum, and groundwater monitoring indicates below-normal levels. Presently, the Potomac River observed flow at Little Falls Dam, Washington D.C., is at 472 MGD (730 cfs), demanding close monitoring under CO-OP’s declared enhanced drought operations since August 25. The Washington Aqueduct voluntarily shifted water withdrawals from Great Falls to Little Falls to ensure river environmental flows. Notably, a substantial portion of the Potomac watershed is facing D1 drought conditions per the U.S. Drought Monitor, triggering a discussion among the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Drought Coordination Technical Committee (DCTC) to potentially initiate a “Drought Watch” stage. Despite basin conditions, the Potomac River’s flows are currently 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.
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.
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.’”
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.
Drought in the basin, Luke Paper Mill up for sale, the unequal costs of flooding, and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir.
Potomac River Conditions
As you will see in the news articles linked below, communities across the basin are implementing drought watch status and asking residents to conserve water. Due to hydroelectric dam operations upstream, fairly large hourly fluctuations in flows can be observed at some USGS streamflow gages, but the effects of these are temporary, and on average, river flows are continuing to slowly decline.
However, good news might be on the horizon. NWS MARFC predicts ¼ to ¾ inches of rain throughout the Potomac watershed.
“This may be enough to keep us in daily drought monitoring but out of drought operations,” according to Dr. Cherie Schultz, Director of ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP).
CO-OP staff have been in active drought monitoring status since last Friday. Should the dry weather continue, there is a possibility they will go into full drought operations, with twice-daily reporting to stakeholders and consideration of releases from upstream reservoirs.
Collaboration on River Spills
At this month’s meeting of the Potomac River Basin Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership members heard from sister river commissions and partner organizations about how they responded to two recent river spills: the East Palestine train derailment and the Delaware River latex spill. Although neither of these events occurred in the Potomac watershed, hearing how the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) and the US EPA Region 3 responded, and the lessons they learned, is an important step towards better preparation for a regional spill response.
The Partnership is a voluntary association of water suppliers and government agencies focused on protecting sources of drinking water in the Potomac River basin. Coordinated by ICPRB, this coalition takes a collaborative approach to protecting raw water supplies in the basin, including spill response.
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.
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.
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