River report
Potomac Interceptor
Crews have been working around the clock in freezing conditions to address the break in the Potomac Interceptor line, a 72” pipe that carries raw sewage to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant. The collapse on January 19 sent hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River. The majority of the flow was contained by January 24 and DC Water has reported no over flow in the past few days.
The region’s drinking water is not impacted as the spill occurred below operational drinking water intakes.
Icy conditions are also complicating the monitoring efforts. According to DC Water, independent environmental experts are conducting ongoing water quality monitoring. More data is needed to establish a trend.
The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a precautionary shellfish harvesting closure above the Rt. 301 bridge.
Authorities recommend avoiding contact with untreated sewage.
Other Updates of Interest
A “blow out” tide is expected along the tidal Potomac this weekend which could break up the ice and create dangerous conditions, so please use caution and stay off the ice.
WSSC Water has lifted the emergency restricted water use advisory that was implemented due to the frigid temperatures and risk of water main breaks.
Drought Update
Today’s U.S. Drought Monitor Map has the same percentages as last week, with 88% of the basin in Severe Drought conditions and the remaining in Moderate Drought conditions.
Rain in the basin is 7.9 inches below normal since last August.
According to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center, no precipitation was recorded in the basin over the past 24 hours. Over the next 3 days, up to 0.10 inches is expected throughout the basin.
Flow data at Point of Rocks and at Little Falls is currently unavailable due to the presence of ice.
ICPRB’s CO-OP team continues Drought Monitoring activities with daily emails to water suppliers and government agencies with information on flow, weather, and water demands. Find a summary on our social media accounts using #droughtmonitoring.
New interactive map to identify areas vulnerable to stormwater runoff
ICPRB recently updated an interactive map, Susceptibility to Runoff Impacts in the Potomac Basin, to help developers, zoning agencies, and other land use decision-makers identify areas most vulnerable to the impacts of stormwater runoff.
Impervious surfaces (parking lots, roads, sidewalks, etc.) prevent rain from slowly seeping into the ground. Instead, water runs swiftly off the land and directly into nearby streams. This increases the likelihood of flooding, damages the physical structure of the stream leading to erosion and excess sediment in the water, and carries trash and chemicals to our waterways.
Some areas are more vulnerable to these impacts than others based on landscape factors such as soil characteristics and slope. The interactive map includes a new color-coded “susceptibility index” of areas that may be most impacted by runoff. Those who make decisions on land use in the basin can use the information as a factor in siting new development, anticipating the effects of planned development and/or identifying areas where mitigation efforts may prove useful.
The map was published as part of the implementation of the Potomac Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan. The science behind the map is documented in a peer-reviewed paper written by ICPRB staff and published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association.
That’s a wrap on Winter Salt Week!
A flurry of events and news in the past couple weeks raised awareness of the negative impacts of using too much winter salt. Both virtual and in-person events focused on everything from what residents can do to how to write a good snow removal contract and everything in between.
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Regional events:
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National webinars:
Throughout the week, the message was clear: We can be Winter Salt Smart by following 3 easy steps
Shovel first
🧂 Sprinkle salt (only if needed)
🧹 Sweep it up once its done the job
Learn more at www.potomacriver.org/salt >>>