August Water Supply Outlook: Lookin’ good
We are in good shape for the rest of the season, according to the recently published August Water Supply Outlook. Stream flow is near or above normal, most groundwater levels are stable or rising, and major reservoirs are near full capacity.
At the moment, the flow of the Potomac River is sufficient to meet our needs without requiring releases from upstream reservoirs. There is a good chance we will not need releases for the rest of the dry season.
Rainfall over the past year is 4 inches above average, that is about 3 inches more than last month at this time, and is expected to continue in that trajectory.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor map, there are no signs of drought within the watershed.
As always, if dry conditions were to develop, the region remains well prepared with carefully designed drought contingency plans and coordinated reservoir operations.