News From Around the Basin – July 2, 2026

🎆Have a safe and happy 4th of July! Please keep the fireworks to the professionals and stay safe on the water. ICPRB will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of the holiday.

The Week’s River Report

🌊 The flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage has experienced a little bump since last week. At 2,540 cubic feet per second (cfs), it is near the 25th percentile for this time of year. The National Weather Service predicts a slight increase in flow with rain in the forecast.

☀️ About 1-2 inches of rain is expected over the next week. Rain in the basin is 9.5 inches below average for the past calendar year, according to NOAA.

🗺️ Today’s U.S. Drought Monitor map has a slight uptick in Severe Drought conditions, but otherwise stays consistent from last week’s map, with roughly two-thirds of the watershed in Moderate Drought conditions and one-third in Severe Drought conditions, with 2.5% in Extreme Drought.

Changing gears from water quantity to water quality, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has a new Integrated Report that provides a comprehensive look at water quality conditions throughout the state. A public informational webinar summarizing the Integrated Report is scheduled for July 7 at 10 a.m. The report is open for public comment now until July 15.

Branching out for Potomac Water Quality

Back in January, ICPRB received a beseeching email from a sign maker in western Maryland. They had been tasked with recreating a series of information kiosks that were over a decade old and severely degraded. These signs were originally part of a collaborative project with ICPRB, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Town of Williamsport to educate park-goers on the Potomac River and what impacts water quality.

Much of the old signs were worn down and illegible. The sign maker had attempted to track down the original content with no luck. After much searching, they reached out to us for help. Luckily, after much searching, ICPRB staff were able to track down the original files and photos.

We’re excited to see that the revamped informational signs, Branching Out For Potomac Water Quality, were just installed in Byron Memorial Park in Williamsport, MD. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by, take a photo and tag us in your social media posts!

Shout out to Roy Devore at Kenney Signs, Inc. for putting in the extra leg work to make the new signs!

ICPRB in the community

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