The Week’s River Report: Following the Flow

The recent rain hasn’t boosted river flows much. At 3,240 cubic feet per second (cfs), the flow at Point of Rocks is only slightly higher than the 130-year historical low for this time period of 3,000 cfs.

The adjusted flow at Little Falls has dropped into the lower ranges earlier in the year than seen during previous droughts in 1999 and 2002.

Rain in the basin is 6.4 inches below normal since last fall. That timing is important because this is typically the period when groundwater recharge supports future streamflow.

Flows are even lower now than they were during the same time last year. The spring low flows in 2025 bounced back when the region received heavy rain — up to 11 inches in some areas of the basin — in early May that lead to widespread flooding.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor Map released this morning, 93% of the watershed is in severe drought conditions, an increase of 11% over last week.

NOAA’s 7-day forecast calls for 0.01-1.0 inch of rain in the watershed, with the majority of the basin receiving the lower end of the forecast.

ICPRB webinar on the co-benefits of land conservation

Join ICPRB for a webinar on Friday, May 29, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM which will cover the practical approaches and tools for prioritizing land conservation that protects drinking water sources while supporting forests, agriculture, habitat, and high‑value watersheds.

Register for Aligning Land Conservation with Source Water Protection: Tools to promote co-benefits for forest, agriculture & habitat >>>

Participants will gain a clearer understanding of how to align source water protection goals with broader conservation outcomes and apply these tools within their own projects.

This webinar is part of ICPRB’s semi-annual series for basin land use decision-makers, supporting implementation of the Potomac Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan. Past land use webinars can be found at ICPRB’s YouTube page.

Reminder: Speaker and poster abstracts due soon for the Potomac River Conference

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin will hold the 2026 Potomac River Conference – A Dry Horizon: The Future of Water Supply in the Potomac River Basin on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at The Crossvines in Poolesville, MD.

Speaker and poster abstracts are due by May 15, so get them in soon! Submit an abstract >>>

The event will highlight the future of water supply in the Potomac River watershed by exploring drinking water availability (groundwater, surface water, river flows, reuse, etc.), emerging demands (data centers, power generation, energy use, etc.), projected stressors to the water supply system, and more.

Not interested in speaking but would like to stay informed about the event? Sign up here >>>

Sponsorships Available: The conference offers your organization a unique opportunity to reach an audience of professionals from across industry, government, NGOs, and more. Sound good to you? Complete the sponsorship form >>>

ICPRB in the Community

Spring is here and ICPRB staff are out and about! Join us at an upcoming event…

• May 2: RiverFest (Waynesboro, VA)

• May 9: Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest (Frederick, MD)

• May 14: PFAS, Spills, and Beyond: Water Quality Challenges in the Potomac Basin (DC)

• May 16: Anacostia River Festival (DC)

• May 30: Earth Fest (Frederick, MD)

• June 7: Walk in the Woods: From Field to Stream (Jefferson, MD)