Extreme Drought in today’s map ; more on American eels ; an alligator spotted; and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir – Sept. 25, 2025 >>>

River Report: U.S. Drought Monitor Map showing Extreme Drought Conditions

Rain is in the forecast. Meanwhile…

🗺 Today’s U.S. Drought Monitor map has a swath of Extreme Drought conditions. The first we’ve seen since last November.

🌊 Potomac River flows are expected to rise slightly over the next several days according to US National Weather Service Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center predictions.

🌧 Total rainfall over the past three days has ranged from 0.25 to 1 inches in most portions of the Potomac watershed above Little Falls.

🔮 Cumulative precipitation forecasts call for 0.50 to 0.75 inches of rain over the next three days.

Maryland has declared a Drought Watch for the central part of the state. Virginia also escalated portions of the state into Drought Watch. The Town of Strasburg, Virginia, has asked residents to voluntarily conserve water.

Correction: American eels

An eagle-eyed reader noticed last week’s newsletter inadvertently implied that the American eel spawns in the North Branch Potomac. The truth is much more interesting—and even, a bit mysterious.

The American eel is a catadromous fish, which is a fancy term for a species that live their life mostly in rivers but migrate out to sea to spawn. This is in opposition to anadromous fish, such as salmon, that live in the ocean but spawn in freshwater.

American eels can live up to 20 years. Their habitat spans rivers up and down the east coast. However, habitat loss and destruction have limited their range in recent decades.

How the American eels make babies is still a bit of a mystery. Scientists have yet to observe adult eels reproducing.

At some point during their long life span in the river, they stop feeding and head downstream, out to the open ocean. Only recently have scientists discovered that the eels final destination is the Sargasso Sea, a region of the Atlantic Ocean that overlaps with the Bermuda Triangle (coincidence? Maybe.).

What we do know is that once the eel eggs hatch, the transparent, flat, amoeba-looking larval eels drift with the ocean current back to where their parents came from. As they grow, each stage comes with it’s own fanciful name—glass eel to elver to yellow eel (adult) and finally a reproductively mature adult called a silver eel. At this point, they transform yet again by growing long fins, doubling the size of their eyes, and enhancing their swim bladder. These new features help them transition from the cushy river life to a more dangerous open ocean. And the process starts all over again.

During their time in the rivers, they also serve as vital upstream transportation for mussel larvae. Mussels not only provide vital food sources for a variety of animals, but a single mussel can filter up to 20 gallons of water per day.

ICPRB in the Community

Join us at one of our upcoming events:

• Sept. 27 – Walk in the Woods: Fruits of Fall (McLean, VA)

• Oct. 4 – Walk in the Woods: Let’s be Smart About Winter Salt (Rockville, MD)

• Oct. 5 – Walk in the Woods: Tomorrow’s Trees (Lorton, VA)

• Oct. 11 – Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest (Frederick, MD)

• Nov. 1 – Walk in the Woods: Let’s be Smart About Winter Salt – Sligo Creek (Takoma Park, MD)