Rapid River Report: Abnormally Dry in the Watershed
After several weeks of no drought conditions in the watershed, dry conditions are back. According to today’s U.S. Drought Monitor map, 36 percent of the basin is considered abnormally dry. This is not unusual for August so it is not yet time to panic.
While August’s rainfall is 1.1 inches below normal, we are still on par with the 12-month average.
There is less than 1 inch of rain in the 7-day forecast. The National Weather Service is still predicting an average amount of rainfall through November.
Low flows are also common this time of year. The Potomac River’s flow at the USGS gage at Point of Rocks is currently around 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is still above the median of 2,735 cfs. If the flow dips below 2,000 cfs, staff in ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac will begin Drought Monitoring with a daily email report to water suppliers and government agencies summarizing river flow, weather, and water demand.