ICPRB is hiring for a Communications Director position.
We are seeking a Communications Director who will control and oversee the flow of communication and information between ICPRB and the public. This individual will be responsible for acting as the face of ICPRB at media events and directing marketing and public relations campaigns. We seek a dynamic team player who will set the tone for messaging and who can effectively portray ICPRB’s values and mission.
As you may have heard, our friend and colleague, Curtis Dalpra, passed away on March 5, 2023. We would like to thank all of those who sent condolences and memories. It is evident by the outpouring of love and support, that he inspired many people during his four-decade career at ICPRB.
Among his many responsibilities here at ICPRB was the weekly Potomac News Reservoir. We will continue his legacy by sharing news and information from around the basin that informs the public as well as inspires stewardship of the Potomac River.
What does it take to protect drinking water for the residents of Frederick City?
Join us on April 29 for a hike in the Municipal Forest of the City of Frederick, Md. Our guide is Jenny Willoughby, the Sustainability Manager of Frederick City. Jenny will share her extensive knowledge of the Frederick Municipal Forest and what it takes to sustainably and responsibly manage the city’s source of drinking water. She will talk about the active forest management, the history, and the flora and fauna of the area.
It is with heavy hearts that we report the passing of our friend and colleague, Curtis Dalpra.
Since joining ICPRB in 1981, Curtis has faithfully sent the Potomac News Reservoir newsletter, first in paper form then in electronic form. But today, we pause. We pause the newsletter, but we also pause to take a moment in honor of Curtis. We invite you to pause with us. Maybe take a walk by the river, stop to take a good photo, and throw a ball for your dog.
For 41 years, Curtis championed good stewardship of the Potomac River. Let us all continue that legacy.
We invite you to share memories of him on our Facebook post or send them to us privately. We will share them with his family.
Find news about restoring blue crabs, the C&O Canal, and other areas in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir.
ICPRB News
Considerations for Monitoring Microplastics in the Non-Tidal Potomac River
ICPRB has recently published a new white paper, Considerations for Monitoring Microplastics in the Non-Tidal Potomac River. The paper explores the feasibility of a microplastic monitoring program in the nontidal Potomac basin. It was written as part of ICPRB’s 2022 Clean Water Act Section 106 Potomac Basin Water Quality Improvement grant, which included an activity to “assist water suppliers in VA, MD, and DC in developing microplastic sampling and analysis methodologies and conduct field sample collection.”
The ICPRB will virtually hold its first quarter business meeting on March 7, 2023. Commissioners will be updated on ICPRB efforts to enhance drinking water supply resiliency, the successful Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee meeting, and a presentation on the 30th Anniversary of the Colonial Pipeline Spill on the Potomac. The public is invited to view the virtual meeting. Please Contact Us for more information on how to attend.
The paper explores the feasibility of a microplastic monitoring program in the nontidal Potomac basin. It was written as part of ICPRB’s 2022 Clean Water Act Section 106 Potomac Basin Water Quality Improvement grant, which included an activity to “assist water suppliers in VA, MD, and DC in developing microplastic sampling and analysis methodologies and conduct field sample collection.”
Section 2 describes considerations for collecting and processing samples for microplastics analysis.
Section 3 provides a brief explanation of analytical methods and quality control recommendations for the detection, quantification, and identification of microplastics.
The ICPRB will virtually hold its first quarter business meeting on March 7, 2023. Commissioners will be updated on ICPRB efforts to enhance drinking water supply resiliency, the successful Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee meeting, and a presentation on the 30th Anniversary of the Colonial Pipeline Spill on the Potomac. The public is invited to view the virtual meeting. Please Contact Us for more information on how to attend.
New data shows an improvement in stream health across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
A popular song in the hit Broadway show, Rent, asks how to measure a year. In minutes? In moments? A recent report from the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) explores how scientists can measure stream health. By macroinvertebrates? By miles? The experts at the Chesapeake Bay Program think so. Chessie BIBI, a data-tracking tool used to calculate the health of small- to medium-sized streams, suggests a roughly 6 percent improvement in stream health in the Bay watershed.
The Chesapeake Basin-wide Index of Biotic Integrity, known in the water-world as Chessie BIBI, is a multi-metric index calculated from the numbers and types of small animals, called macroinvertebrates, that live in free-flowing (non-tidal) streams of the Bay watershed. The index relies on data collected by state, federal, county, and volunteer monitoring programs to track the number of “healthy” stream miles in the region from year to year. Chessie BIBI is a long-term ICPRB evaluation that provides water quality assessment for the Potomac basin and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
According to the report, there are many ways to measure stream health. Chessie BIBI is just one of them, but it is a good overall indication of stream health across the Bay watershed. Dr. Buchanan says that Chessie BIBI can be used as a management tool to track progress across jurisdictional boundaries and towards the goals set out in the Bay Agreement.
The ICPRB will virtually hold its first quarter business meeting on March 7, 2023. Commissioners will be updated on ICPRB efforts to enhance drinking water supply resiliency, the successful Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee meeting, and a presentation on the 30th Anniversary of the Colonial Pipeline Spill on the Potomac. The public is invited to view the virtual meeting. Please Contact Us for more information on how to attend.
Find more news about Chessie BIBI, stream health, and PFAS in the Potomac News Reservoir.
The ICPRB will virtually hold its first quarter business meeting on March 7, 2023. Commissioners will be updated on ICPRB efforts to enhance drinking water supply resiliency, the successful Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee meeting, and a presentation on the 30th Anniversary of the Colonial Pipeline Spill on the Potomac. The public is invited to view the virtual meeting. Please Contact Us for more information on how to attend.
New data shows an improvement in stream health across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
A popular song in the hit Broadway show, Rent, asks how to measure a year. In minutes? In moments? A recent report from the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) explores how scientists can measure stream health. By macroinvertebrates? By miles? The experts at the Chesapeake Bay Program think so. Chessie BIBI, a data-tracking tool used to calculate the health of small- to medium-sized streams, suggests a roughly 6 percent improvement in stream health in the Bay watershed.
The Chesapeake Basin-wide Index of Biotic Integrity, known in the water-world as Chessie BIBI, is a multi-metric index calculated from the numbers and types of small animals, called macroinvertebrates, that live in free-flowing (non-tidal) streams of the Bay watershed. The index relies on data collected by state, federal, county, and volunteer monitoring programs to track the number of “healthy” stream miles in the region from year to year. Chessie BIBI is a long-term ICPRB evaluation that provides water quality assessment for the Potomac basin and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
As Dr. Claire Buchanan, co-author of the report and Emerita Director of Program Operations at ICPRB, explains,
“You can tell a lot about the health of a stream by what lives at the bottom. A quality stream has an abundance of life and many species from across the food web. You won’t see that in an unhealthy stream.”
To capture the full picture over a longer period, Chessie BIBI tracked three 6-year time periods between 2000 and 2017. The time periods were designated pre-baseline, baseline, and first interval. The baseline period is from the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement which established a stream health goal to, “Improve health and function of ten percent of stream miles above the 2008 baseline for the watershed.” This report compared the healthy stream miles from the baseline period (2006 – 2011) to the first interval period (2012 – 2017) and found that the number of healthy stream miles went from 61.7 percent to 67.8 percent, respectively.
According to the report, there are many ways to measure stream health. Chessie BIBI is just one of them, but it is a good overall indication of stream health across the Bay watershed. Dr. Buchanan says that Chessie BIBI can be used as a management tool to track progress across jurisdictional boundaries and towards the goals set out in the Bay Agreement.
“Improvement is not happening across the board, but the overall picture is positive. We are excited about the trajectory and hope to see the trend continue as we examine successive 6-year periods in the future. We are currently collecting data for the next 6-year period of 2018 – 2023,” says Dr. Buchanan.
The report does not point to a specific reason for increased stream health but suggests a combination of stressors are now probably low or abating, allowing an overall improvement in the Chessie BIBI index in undisturbed streams.
According to the report, studies have linked poor stream health with altered stream flows, excessive nutrients and sediment, urban landcover, acid deposition and mine drainage, and climate change.
The ICPRB is an interstate compact commission established by Congress in 1940. Its mission is to protect and enhance the waters and related resources of the Potomac River basin through science, regional cooperation, and education. Represented by appointed commissioners, the ICPRB includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the federal government.
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