The River Report – December’s Water Supply Outlook
The river’s flow is, once again, flirting with our drought monitoring threshold of 2,000 cubic feet per second at the USGS gage at Point of Rocks.
ICPRB’s CO-OP staff have published a December Water Supply Outlook. The monthly report, typically only published April to October, has been continued due to the persistent dry conditions.
Here are some key passages…
💧 CO-OP suspended Daily #DroughtMonitoring on November 22 due to rising river levels.
💧 While recent rainfall has temporarily relieved dry conditions, it has not been enough to overcome the deficits observed in soil moisture, streamflow, and groundwater levels.
💧 Currently, the basin is grappling with a range of dry conditions, with 33% classified as abnormally dry, 28% as moderate drought, and 30% as severe drought.
💧 Over the past 12 months, there has been an approximate 8-inch rainfall deficit compared to average.
But it’s not all doom and gloom…
💧 Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center’ December outlook suggests “leaning above” normal temperatures and precipitation in the basin.
💧 The Palmer Drought Severity Index, depicts moderate to severe drought conditions in the Potomac basin, which is an improvement from the extreme drought conditions reported in last month’s Water Supply Outlook.
Find the full report on ICPRB’s website >>>
Reminder: We are hiring!
ICPRB is seeking a Habitat and Living Resources Data Manager to work alongside ICPRB’s Water Quality Data Manager. This position will be offsite at the Chesapeake Bay Program offices in Annapolis, MD.