The Week’s River Report: Drought Watch declaration
A Drought Watch has been declared for the metropolitan Washington region. Authorities are asking for voluntary water conservation among residents and businesses in the region.
Read the ICPRB’s news release >>>
The U.S. Drought Monitor Map released this morning showed the area in Extreme Drought conditions was reduced to 3.4%, a small improvement over last week’s 8.5%. The majority of the watershed remains in Moderate or Severe Drought conditions. A small section in the northwest corner of the watershed is experiencing no drought at all. Lucky them!
After a nice recovery last week, river levels have fallen into the “normal” range but are expected to continue to fall.
Rain in the watershed is 7 inches below normal for the last calendar year.
Minimal rain is expected over the next week.
ICPRB Staffing Updates
We are excited to announce two well-deserved promotions at ICPRB which took effect in May.
Congratulations to our new Director of Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP), Alimatou Seck, PhD, and our new Associate Director of Spill Response (a brand-new section!), Sarah Ahmed.
The CO-OP serves as a technical center on water resources in the Potomac basin, managing a unique cooperative system of water supply management put in place nearly fifty years ago. Two important reports that CO-OP produces are the water demand and resource availability forecast published every five years, which in 2025 evaluated current and projected direct, on-site consumptive water use by data centers in the Potomac River basin, as well as the monthly Water Supply Outlook reports during the dry season.
The new Spill Response section gives special focus to ICPRB’s spill modeling capabilities. The Potomac basin has experienced a wide range of spill incidents over the past several decades, including fuel releases, chemical spills, wastewater discharges, and infrastructure failures—with the Potomac Interceptor Break serving as the latest reminder of ongoing risks to water quality and drinking water sources. Our computer models keep water suppliers and emergency response agencies informed so that they can respond to a spill situation and protect water supplies and other uses of the Potomac River.
Sarah will continue to support ICPRB’s CO-OP Section in long-term water supply planning, drought operations, and demand forecasting for the Washington metropolitan region.
After many years as Director of CO-OP, Dr. Cherie Schultz has transitioned to Director Emerita of CO-OP, continuing her expert role on a part-time basis.
Welcoming ICPRB’s 2026 Interns
Malihe Nasibi is a Ph.D. candidate in Water Resources Engineering at George Mason University, with a background in hydroclimatic extremes, hydrometeorological data analysis, and hydrologic and hydraulic modeling.
As an intern, she is eager to contribute to ICPRB’s work by analyzing observed streamflow and model outputs and evaluating hydrologic model performance to support water supply operations and drought management by working with a SWAT+ model, the Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Model, and ParFlow CONUS simulations.
William DeSimone is a recent JMU graduate with interests in watershed science, environmental data analysis, and water resources management.
He will help ICPRB better understand and quantify watershed processes, develop stressor analysis, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), and watershed management plans. His tasks include compiling base data for updated estimations of basin-wide unreported water uses.
He is excited to learn from and work with the staff at the ICPRB this summer before beginning an M.S. In Environmental Sciences at UVA this fall. Outside of the office, William enjoys hiking in the Blue Ridge, spelunking with friends in Virginia’s natural caves, and working on hands-on projects.
Last chance to submit abstracts for the upcoming Potomac River Conference!
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the conversation shaping the future of water in the Potomac River Basin.
A Dry Horizon: The Future of Water Supply in the Potomac River Basin
📅 Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at The Crossvines, Poolesville, MD
⏰ Submission deadline is tomorrow. Submit your abstract and join the discussion on the future of water in the Potomac watershed. >>>
ICPRB’s FY26 3rd Quarter Business Meeting to be held June 17
The ICPRB FY26 Third Quarter Business Meeting is coming up on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, to be held virtually. Commissioners will discuss the budget, nominate officers for FY27, and get updates on ICPRB’s work. Find the draft agenda on our Business Meetings site on our webpage. The public is invited to attend virtually or provide public comment. Please contact us by Friday, June 12 to get meeting information.
ICPRB in the Community
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