River report: 80% of the basin in severe drought
By the numbers:
🗺️ According to today’s U.S. Drought Monitor Map, 80% of the basin remains in severe drought conditions, 8% in extreme drought and 12% of the basin has been downgraded to abnormally dry since last week.
🌊 Flow at Point of Rocks USGS gage is 10,600 cubic feet per second, which is slightly below the historical median.
🌧️ Rain in the basin is 5.8 inches below average since last fall, an improvement of <1 inch since last week.
☔ NOAA predicts up to 0.25-1.5 inches of rain over the next week.
New Website: Data Centers and Water Use in the Potomac Basin
The Potomac basin is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world. The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud services is driving unprecedented growth in the region. While much of the public discussion has focused on electricity demand of data centers, these facilities can also use substantial amounts of water for cooling.
As part of the recently published 2025 Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) Water Supply and Demand Study, ICPRB evaluated current and projected direct, on-site consumptive water use by data centers in the Potomac River basin.
A new page on ICPRB’s website focuses on data centers by pulling out the pertinent information from the Water Supply Study, including FAQs and recommendations.
Check it out at www.potomacriver.org/datacenters >>>
ICPRB in the Community
Spring is in the air (or it was yesterday, at least… today it feels like winter is back🥶). We are excited to announce upcoming events where ICPRB staff can be found out and about with the public. Sign up, join us, and get outside to enjoy everything the Potomac River basin has to offer!
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Mar. 28: Walk in the Woods: Spring Ephemerals with Charlotte Taylor Fryar (McLean, VA)
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April 11: Walk in the Woods: Potomac Marble (Dickerson, MD)
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April 18: Walk in the Woods: Trees and Tech in Prince William County (Bristow, VA)
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April 18: Earth Day Celebration (Frederick, MD)
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April 23: Adams County Earth Extravaganza (Gettysburg, PA)
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May 9: Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest (Frederick, MD)
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May 16: Anacostia River Festival (Washington, DC)