News

Entry Thumbnail

News From Around the Basin – Oct. 8, 2026

October 8, 2026

Potomac News Reservoir – Oct. 8, 2026 >>>

**Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting exciting new (or recently updated) ICPRB tools. These include a map that tracks the health of our watersheds, data that explores water use in the region, resources for land use planners, and more. Make sure to check them out!**

River Report: ICPRB is Back in Drought Monitoring

Due to low flows in the Potomac River, ICPRB is back in daily drought monitoring. This is a daily email to stakeholders with current flow, weather conditions, and water demands. You can think of it as an extra set of eyes on the river when it gets low. A daily summary will be posted to our socials using #droughtmonitoring.

Meteorologists are calling for “a good soaking rain” on Sunday, due to Tropical Storm Isaias passing through. However, the exact path of the storm is still uncertain.

🗺️ The numbers in today’s U.S. Drought Monitor Map haven’t budged much from last week, with 23% of the watershed in Moderate Drought and 36% abnormally dry.

🌊 Flow at the USGS gage at Point of Rocks is near the 25th percentile for this time of year.

☔  Up to 0.5 inches of rain is expected over the next 3 days with widespread rainfall totaling 1 – 2 inches over the next week. (MARFC)

🍂 How did this summer’s drought impact leaf-peeping season? Most likely we’ll see a quick color change this year. So, plan accordingly. There are ideas for day trips, train trips, new parks, and more, in the news articles below.

🐟 Why are we seeing the big daily fluctuations in flow? Eels, of course! Upstream dams are turned off nightly from mid-September to mid-December during the annual American eel migration downstream to protect them during their journey, resulting in the ups and downs we see in flow.

A new map to explore the state of our streams

Late last year, an ICPRB report on the state of our streams showed a 1.4% improvement in overall stream health throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed over the past six years. This was good news!

A new companion piece to that report let’s you take a deep dive into the data on your local stream through an interactive online map, the Chessie BIBI Map Explorer >>>  

The tracking tool is the Chesapeake basin-wide index of biotic integrity for stream macroinvertebrates, known as Chessie BIBI for short. It is one of the ways scientists gauge the health of a stream by figuring out who calls it home. Specifically, how many and what species of benthic macroinvertebrates — the scientific term for creek critters like dragonfly and stonefly larvae — are living at the bottom of a stream. Some creek critters need healthy streams to live while others are more tolerant of poor conditions.

In addition, the Bioregions in the Chesapeake Bay Map Explorer explores the twelve bioregions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed as they relate to creek critters.

Learn more on our website, “Chessie BIBI” Index for Streams.

ICPRB in the Community

Join us at one of these upcoming events:

Entry Thumbnail

News From Around the Basin – October 1, 2026

October 1, 2026

Potomac News Reservoir – Oct. 1, 2026 >>>

Rapid River Report

🗺️ The U.S. Drought Monitor Map released this morning is finally showing some improvement over previous weeks. The area in moderate drought was reduced from 33% to 23%. Around 40% of the watershed is abnormally dry.

🌊 After a nice bump last week, flow at the USGS gage at Point of Rocks is headed back down to around 2,200 cubic feet per second, which is near the median for this time of year.

☔ 0.25 – 1.25 inches of rain is expected in the watershed over the next week.

Celebrating the Source

It if officially one of our favorite weeks of the year: Source Water Protection Week!

A whole week that we celebrate protecting where our drinking water comes from, which includes the Potomac River and it’s tributaries.

ICPRB and our partners are sharing photos, information, and tips on how you can protect drinking water.

Each day of the week has a different theme. Today is our ABC (Anything But a Cup) selfie day. ICPRB staff have been enjoying our tap water out of Anything But a Cup, and would love to see you shout-out your source water with a selfie! Share the photo as a comment on our Facebook or LinkedIn posts or use #ProtectThePotomac. The more creative, the better!

Looking for more ways to celebrate (and protect) your source water? Here are some simple steps you can take to make a difference:

🧤Volunteer at a cleanup event near you

💩 Pick up pet waste

❄️ Use less (or no!) winter salt

🌼 Choose native species in your landscaping

🏡 Eliminate fertilizer or pesticide use in your yard

ICPRB in the Community

Join us at one of these upcoming events:

Entry Thumbnail

News From Around the Basin – September 24, 2026

September 24, 2026

Potomac News Reservoir – Sept. 24, 2026 >>>

The Week’s River Report: Drought Monitoring Suspended

🌊 Yesterday’s average daily flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage was 2,570 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is above the 2,000 cfs drought monitoring threshold.

Flow has continued to rise, with today’s flow estimated at 3600 cfs.

Therefore, we are suspending daily #droughtmonitoring.

☔ Scattered rain fell across the Potomac basin during the past 24 hours, with amounts generally ranging from 0.1 to 0.25 inches with up 0.5 inches locally.

🔮 Little rain is forecast across most of the basin over the next week. (MARFC)

👀 We will continue to watch river conditions and resume drought monitoring if needed.

We would like to thank the organizations and water suppliers for your continued support and cooperation.

All of that being said, the U.S. Drought Monitor Map released this morning doesn’t show a huge improvement over last week’s map. Abnormally Dry and Moderate Dry conditions still persist throughout the watershed.

As a reminder, the region remains in a Drought Watch as declared by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments earlier this summer. Everyone is asked to continue to use water wisely by taking simple actions like turning off the tap when its not in use, only doing full loads of laundry and dishes, and taking shorter showers.

Another ICPRB Annual Business Meeting in the books

The annual ICPRB business meeting was held earlier this week at AlexRenew in Alexandria, Virginia.

In addition to an informative tour of the RiverRenew tunnel system, which treats the combined wastewater and stormwater for the city of Alexandria, the meeting held a number of highlights:

Director of CO-OP Operations, Dr. Alimatou Seck provided an update on drought conditions in the region.

The group heard a presentation from Sarah Ahmed, the associate director of our newly established Spill Response section, on the work her department is doing to strengthen the region’s response capabilities after an emergency, which includes computer modeling they conducted after the Potomac Interceptor incident.

Delegate Tran (previous ICPRB Commissioner) presented Executive Director Nardolilli with VA House Resolution 371 which commends the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin with 85 years of protecting water resources.

New Commissioners were officially welcomed with an ICPRB pin. This includes Commissioner Delegate JJ Singh (replacing Del. Kathy Tran), and Alternate Commissioner Delegate Israel D. O’Quinn (replacing Del. Joshua Cole). Commissioner Jayne Brown (DC) and Commissioner Justin Carl (VA) have also joined the team.

Commissioner Lee Currey (MD) was confirmed as Chair for both ICPRB and CO-OP for 2027. We’d like to thank Commissioner Willem Brakel (DC) for his year of service as 2026 Chair.

We’d like to thank AlexRenew and Commissioner Justin Carl for hosting us! Find more photos on ICPRB’s Facebook post >>>

ICPRB in the Community

Join us at one of these upcoming events:

Entry Thumbnail

News From Around the Basin – Sept. 17, 2026

September 17, 2026

Potomac News Reservoir – Sept. 17, 2026 >>>

The Week’s River Report: Back in Drought Monitoring

Due to low flows in the Potomac River, ICPRB initiated daily drought monitoring earlier this week.

ICPRB’s daily Drought Monitoring begins when flow at the USGS stream gage at Point of Rocks, Maryland, falls below 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).

When in active Drought Monitoring, we send daily email reports to stakeholders summarizing the river’s flow, weather, and  water demand conditions.

A summary of the reports will be posted on social media using #droughtmonitoring.

Today’s Drought Monitoring Report

🌊 Flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage is 1760 cfs, which is roughly between the 25th percentile and the median for this time of year.

🗺️ The U.S. Drought Monitor map released this morning remains consistent with last week’s data, with 33% of the basin in Moderate Drought conditions and 43% abnormally dry.

☀️ No rain fell in the basin over the past 24 hours.

🔮 The next 24 hours may see 0.1-0.5 inches of rain. The week-long outlook is 1-2 inches of rain in the basin. (MARFC)

The River’s Ups and Downs

We just started seeing bigger daily fluctuations in the the river’s flow at the Point of Rocks gage. This is due to upstream hydroelectric dam operations designed to protect American eels.

The dams are turned off nightly from mid-September to mid-December during the annual American eel migration downstream. This keeps the slippery fish from getting caught in dam machinery as they make their way to sea to spawn. As a result, the flows downstream show daily fluctuations. Water resources experts, like ICPRB, are aware of these predicable fluctuations and include them in their planning calculations.

Want to know more? Learn about ICPRB’s work with American eels or check out our webinar on their fascinating historical and ecological importance and how they impact water quality.

Congratulations, Jamie!

Last week Jamie Bain Hedges of Fairfax Water (retired) was honored with the ICPRB Signature Award for Excellence in Water Supply Stewardship at the 2026 Potomac River Conference. This award recognizes a person that has made a positive and lasting basin-wide impact with respect to the theme of this year’s conference: the future of water supply in the Potomac River basin.

“Jamie has been a leader in providing clean and abundant drinking water to the customers of Fairfax Water as well as a key player in the managing of the water resources for the entire DC area,” said ICPRB Executive Director Michael Nardolilli.

Bain Hedges, who recently retired from Fairfax Water, joined the organization in 1989 and rose through key leadership roles, eventually becoming the first woman to serve as General Manager in 2021. Hedges engineering expertise and steady leadership have made a lasting impact on Fairfax Water and the region, especially through her work to protect our region’s drinking water sources and ensure they remain safe and dependable for generations to come.

WSSC Water, the conference’s premier sponsor, represented by Dr. Priscilla To, presented Bain Hedges with the award. “There is no one more deserving of this award than Jamie,” said Dr. To. “Through her steady leadership, coalition-building, and commitment to public service, she is an inspiration to all of us working towards a more resilient water supply in the metropolitan region.”

“This recognition was especially meaningful to me, given the many dedicated individuals who have worked tirelessly to protect and preserve the Potomac River,” said Bain Hedges about the award. “The challenges facing the Potomac River are increasingly complex and addressing them will require the continued commitment and collaboration of everyone who cares deeply about the river and its future.”

We would like to acknowledge Ms. Bain Hedges for her many years of service at Fairfax Water and salute her in retirement.

We’re Back with More Expert-led Walks

Please join us on select Saturdays in September, October and November for a FREE Walk in the Woods with experts from all around the Potomac watershed!

Entry Thumbnail

News from Around the Basin – September 10, 2026

September 10, 2026

Potomac News Reservoir – Sept. 10, 2026 >>>

The Week’s River Report

With 33% of the region in moderate drought conditions and 44% abnormally dry, today’s U.S. Drought Monitor map shows a slight improvement over last week.

Flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage is hovering around 2,000 cubic feet per second and isn’t expected to change much in the near future.

The 12-month rain deficit is slowly improving, with 6.7 inches below average for the past year. The far western part of the watershed may get up to a couple inches of rain over the next week, but most the area is expected to get less than 1.25 inches.

That’s a wrap on the 2026 Potomac River Conference

A BIG thank you to the speakers, moderators, and sponsors that helped bring together yesterday’s impactful and informative 2026 Potomac River Conference with the theme of A Dry Horizon: The Future of Water Supply in the Potomac River Basin!

Organized by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the event featured regional water leaders, utilities, scientists, policymakers, and community organizations to explore how the Potomac River basin can maintain a reliable and resilient water supply amid growing uncertainty.

Discussions focused on collaboration, water reuse, emerging pressures such as population growth, aging infrastructure, groundwater sustainability, and data center development, as well as advances in forecasting and decision-support tools. A panel of local utility leaders shared long-term planning strategies and infrastructure investments, emphasizing the importance and benefits of the Potomac River basin’s regional coordination and innovative approaches to securing the region’s water future.

Links to the conference presentations and posters can be found on ICPRB’s website.

This was the fifth event in ICPRB’s annual series of Potomac River Conferences on critical issues facing the Potomac River basin and beyond. Previous subject matters included harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and PFAS.

If you attended the event, please help improve next year’s Potomac River Conference by taking a couple minutes to complete the conference evaluation, which includes a question on future topics.

Funding for the conference was provided by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin with additional support provided by the following sponsors:

Entry Thumbnail

2026 Potomac River Conference – A Dry Horizon: The Future of Water Supply in the Potomac River Basin

September 10, 2026

Organized by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB), the Potomac River Conference brought together regional water leaders, utilities, scientists, policymakers, and community organizations to explore how the Potomac River basin can maintain a reliable and resilient water supply amid growing uncertainty. Discussions focused on collaboration, water reuse, emerging pressures such as population growth, aging infrastructure, groundwater sustainability, and data center development, as well as advances in forecasting and decision-support tools. A panel of local utility leaders shared long-term planning strategies and infrastructure investments, emphasizing the importance and benefits of the Potomac River basin’s regional coordination and innovative approaches to securing the region’s water future.

This was the fifth event in ICPRB’s annual series of Potomac River Conferences on critical issues facing the Potomac River basin and beyond. Previous subject matters included harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and PFAS.

Links to the conference presentations and posters are below. The full agenda, speaker bios, and more, can be found on the conference website.

AGENDA

Wednesday, September 9, 2026
The Crossvines, 16601 W Willard Rd, Poolesville, MD

Opening

Moderator: Michael Nardolilli, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin

  • Welcome –
    • Michael Nardolilli, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
    • Willem Brakel, Chair, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin Commissioner (DC)
    • Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Executive
    • WSSC Water presented the ICPRB Signature Award to Jamie Bain Hedges, Fairfax Water (retired). This award recognizes a person (or organization) that has made a positive and lasting basin-wide impact with respect to the theme of this year’s Potomac River Conference.  We would like to acknowledge Ms. Hedges many years of service at Fairfax Water and to salute her in retirement.

Keynote Address

What’s on the Horizon? Managing Water Supplies in the Face of Uncertainty – Dr. Cherie Schultz, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin

Session 1 – Collaboration in Practice

Moderator: Dr. Lakisa Blocker, Department of Energy & Environment, District of Columbia

Session 2 – Panel: Emerging Challenges for Water Supply Planning

Moderator: Weedon Cloe, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

As the region plans for future water needs, new and evolving pressures are reshaping water supply planning. This panel explores some of the emerging challenges facing the Potomac River Basin, such as population trends, aging water infrastructure, groundwater sustainability, and rapidly growing water demands associated with data centers. Together, these perspectives highlight the need for integrated planning and regional collaboration to ensure a reliable and resilient water supply for future generations.

Session 3 – Science, Forecasting, and Decision Support

Moderator: Dr. Alimatou Seck, ICPRB

Session 4 – Panel: Utility Perspectives on Planning for the Future

Moderator: Lee Currey, Maryland Department of the Environment

Regional water suppliers are actively planning and investing to ensure a reliable water supply for future generations. This panel will highlight the strategies, infrastructure investments, operational approaches, and partnerships utilities are pursuing to strengthen long-term water supply reliability and resilience in the Washington metropolitan region. The discussion is intended to provide attendees with an understanding of the different approaches utilities are taking while identifying common challenges and opportunities for regional collaboration.

Posters

  • From Servers to Streams: Exploring the Water-Energy Impacts of Data Center Growth – Jordan Sidney, Volunteer at Great Falls National Park
  • Biofilms and Cooling Towers: Learning Module for Undergraduate Civil Engineers – J Garrett Jackson, University of Maryland
  • USGS 3DEP Lidar Elevation Data and 3DHP Hydrography Data in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region – Eliza Gross, USGS
  • Assessment of the Groundwater Supply in Loudoun County, Virginia – David Ward, Loudoun Groundwater
  • The Future of the Groundwater Supply in Loudoun County, Virginia – Madeline Skinner, Loudoun County Conservation and Preservation Coalition
  • Water Security as Economic Infrastructure: Innovation and Regional Collaboration for a Resilient Future – Michael Wooden, Christopher Waters, and Prabhushankar Chandrasekeran of Arcadis

Sponsors

Funding for the conference was provided by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin with additional support provided by the following sponsors:

Entry Thumbnail

News From Around the Basin, Sept. 3, 2026

September 3, 2026

Potomac News Reservoir – Sept. 3, 2026 >>>

The Week’s River Report: Holding Steady

It is a mixed bag in today’s River Report.

While the drought status across the region on today’s U.S. Drought Monitor map (see below) holds steady from last week, the flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage hovers around 2,020 cubic feet per second (cfs). While this is not unusual for this time of year — the median is 2220 cfs — at 2,000 cfs, ICPRB begins Drought Monitoring activities, which means a daily email to water suppliers and other stakeholders with information on flow, water use, and weather forecasts. It’s essentially an extra set of eyes on the data when the flow gets low.

Due to last year’s dry winter, we are still in a rain deficit of 7.6 inches for the past calendar year. However, year to date for 2026 has seen closer to average. (NOAA)

While some rain is expected in the region, it appears NOAA’s 7-day forecast doesn’t have more than an inch across the watershed.

Welcoming new ICPRB Alternate Commissioner for DC

ICPRB Staff and Commissioners would like to welcome Jayne Brown as the newest Alternate Commissioner (DC) to join the Commission. Brown is the associate director of inspection and enforcement at the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). Her Division regulates industrial, municipal, and construction stormwater and wastewater compliance. Among other board positions, she has previously served as Chair of the Potomac Basin Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership.

“I would like to welcome Alternate Commissioner Jayne Brown to ICPRB in her new capacity. Jayne is no stranger to ICPRB and we look forward to working with her in this new role,” says ICPRB Executive Director Michael Nardolilli.

The ICPRB Commission is composed of three Commissioners and three Alternate Commissioners from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the Federal Government.

Announcing ICPRB’s 4th Quarter Business Meeting

The ICPRB 4th Quarter FY2026 Business Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at AlexRenew in Alexandria, Virginia. Commissioners will be presented with Virginia House Resolution No. 371, Commending the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, which was introduced by Delegate Tran (District 18). Also on the draft agenda, Commissioners will get updates on the “Secure the Source” Study, data center developments, the Potomac Interceptor, and the development of a new Strategic Plan for ICPRB. After the meeting, Commissioners and guests will enjoy a tour of AlexRenew’s wastewater treatment facility.

The public is invited to attend or provide public comment. Please contact us by Friday, September 18 to register.

Entry Thumbnail

Announcing ICPRB’s 4th Quarter Business Meeting on September 22

September 1, 2026

The ICPRB 4th Quarter FY2026 Business Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at AlexRenew in Alexandria, Virginia. Commissioners will be presented with Virginia House Resolution No. 371, Commending the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, which was introduced by Delegate Tran (District 18). Also on the agenda, Commissioners will get updates on the “Secure the Source” Study, data center developments, the Potomac Interceptor, and the development of a new Strategic Plan for ICPRB. After the meeting, Commissioners and guests will enjoy a tour of AlexRenew’s wastewater treatment facility.

The public is invited to attend or provide public comment. Please contact us by Friday, September 18 to register.

Entry Thumbnail

News From Around the Basin – August 27, 2026

August 27, 2026

Potomac News Reservoir – August 27, 2026 >>>

The Week’s River Report: Improvements Continue

Drought conditions continue to improve across the watershed, but as one news article says, it’s still pretty droughty out there.

Today’s U.S. Drought Monitor map remains similar to last week, with a swath of Moderate Drought conditions across the center of the watershed and much of the remaining area Abnormally Dry.

Flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage is Above Normal (in the 75-90th percentile).

Average rain still remains in a deficit though, at 8 inches below average for the past year.

Walk in the Woods: Let’s be Smart About Winter Salt

It’s not too late to sign up for our first free, guided hike of the fall season which will take place on September 19 in Chevy Chase, MD.

Step into the shoes of an environmental detective as we explore the hidden impacts of oversalting our streets and sidewalks during the winter season. Discover how excess salt harms delicate aquatic creatures, disrupts the fragile balance of our ecosystems, and pollutes our drinking water. Learn from the experts about what we can all do to be “winter salt smart.”

Sign up for Walk in the Woods: Let’s be Smart About Winter Salt – Rock Creek (MD) >>>

New Employment Resources

Finding a job can be hard, especially if you just graduated or are new to the industry. Where to start? Who to reach out to? We get these questions a lot at ICPRB.

To help young (and young at heart) professionals find careers in the water industry, we have put together a list of regional and national job boards as well as professional organizations that provide membership options for young professionals. These resources go beyond the usual job-hunting sites to provide water-industry focused employment and networking opportunities for the best results.

Check it out on ICPRB’s Jobs page >>>

Did we miss any? What are your favorite job boards or employment resources for the water community?

Spread the word by sharing the list with your LinkedIn network.

Entry Thumbnail

News From Around the Basin – August 20, 2026

August 20, 2026

News From Around the Basin – August 20, 2026 >>>

The Week’s River Report: Improvements Across the Watershed

Good news in this week’s river report. Here it is by the numbers:

🗺️ 0% – Severe Drought in the basin: Today’s U.S. Drought Monitor map shows no Severe Drought conditions in the watershed, a nice improvement over last week. A broad swath of moderate drought runs through the center of the watershed, while most of the remaining area remains abnormally dry.

🌊3030 cubic feet per second (cfs): Flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage is slightly above median.

☔ -8.5 inches: The region’s rain deficit for the past year, which improved from last week.

🔮 Up to 2 inches: The amount of rain forecasted over the next week, with the higher amounts expected to hit the south-east section of the basin.

Small Systems Roundtable in Moorefield, WV, Brings Potomac Partners Together

ICPRB and the Potomac River Basin Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership (DWSPP) recently brought together drinking water professionals and partners for a Small Water Supply Systems Roundtable focused on the unique needs and experiences of smaller water systems in the Potomac basin.

The gathering created an opportunity for participants to exchange ideas, learn about available resources, and connect with other water professionals working throughout the region.

The event reflected DWSPP’s broader mission of bringing utilities and government partners together to strengthen source water protection throughout the basin.

The day included discussions on source water protection, harmful algal blooms, agricultural best management practices, funding opportunities, spill response and modeling, and watershed protection, along with a tour of the Moorefield water treatment facility. Just as importantly, participants had time to learn from one another and identify successes, challenges, and opportunities that many small systems face. The strong participation and lively discussion made the roundtable a success and demonstrated the value of making sure small systems have a seat at the table in basin-wide source water protection efforts.

Contact us for more information