River Report: Drought Monitoring Continues
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor map released this morning, drought conditions have increased across the basin with 64% in abnormally dry conditions and 29% in moderate drought.
ICPRB continues our daily Drought Monitoring. Our daily email to water suppliers and government agencies includes information on current and forecasted rainfall, river flows, and more.
Today’s report indicated dry times will continue, with no appreciable rain for the next week.
The flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage is 1700 cubic feet per second (cfs). Median for today is 2250 cfs.
Join the daily conversation on social media using #droughtmonitoring.
Commission meeting welcomes new commissioners and bids farewell to others
At yesterday’s ICPRB Annual Business Meeting, commissioners welcomed new members to the Commission: Commissioners K. John Holmes (Maryland), Daniel J. Strodel (Maryland), Randy Rowel (Maryland), and Doug Domenech (Virginia).
Commissioners also honored two outgoing members. Commissioner McCabe has served as a Maryland Commissioner since 2019. She held several leadership positions during her time with ICPRB, including the LFAA Workgroup, which completed a comprehensive review of the Potomac River Low Flow Allocation Agreement during her tenure. This a vital collaborative agreement which allocates water during a drought. Commissioner Tsai has served as a Washington, D.C. Commissioner since 2017. He was instrumental in the development of the Commission’s Standing Committee on Workforce, Outreach and Education.
In addition to the commissioner changes, new officers were elected for the coming fiscal year. Commissioner Willem Brakel (Washington D.C.) will serve as ICPRB Chair, Commissioner D. Lee Currey (Maryland) will serve as both ICPRB Vice Chair and CO-OP Chair, and W. Weedon Cloe, III, will serve as CO-OP Vice Chair. Congratulations to all!
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Commissioner Mindy Neil of West Virginia who served as ICPRB Chair during the last few months after former Chair Scott Morris was called away to deal with the water crisis in Richmond. I look forward to working with the new leadership of both ICPRB and the CO-OP Section. I would also like to thank the outgoing commissioners for their service and extend a warm welcome to the new commissioners who will be joining us,” said ICPRB Executive Director Michael Nardolilli.
The ICPRB Commission is composed of three commissioners and three alternate commissioners from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the Federal Government.
Following the meeting, commissioners and staff toured WSSC Water’s Potomac Water Filtration Plant, a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of water resources professionals to make sure we all have clean water each and every day. Thank you to WSSC Water for showing us around! See more photos on ICPRB’s Facebook page >>>
Introducing ICPRB’s Walk in the Woods for the fall season
We’re excited to announce registration is open for our fall slate of Walk in the Woods events. These are free, guided hikes throughout the Potomac River watershed where we share knowledge about a variety of subjects—history, plant identification, water quality, watershed management, and more!
Dates and locations can be found below. More hikes will be added in the coming weeks.
These events are free to attend but we do ask that you register in case of delays or rescheduling due to inclement weather.
Looking for more ways to get outside to enjoy the beautiful fall weather? Check out the articles below highlighting kayaking and hiking opportunities in the region or visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Public Water Access Guide to find a place to put your kayak or canoe.
ICPRB in the Community
Join us at one of our upcoming events:
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Sept. 13 – In the Streets in Frederick, MD on Sept. 13
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Sept. 20 – Rockville Science Center Community STEM Day
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Sept. 27 – Walk in the Woods: Fruits of Fall (McLean, VA)
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Oct. 4 – Walk in the Woods: Let’s be Smart About Winter Salt (Rockville, MD)
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Oct. 11 – Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest (Frederick, MD)