News

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Potomac River Water Quality at Great Falls: 1940-2019

What’s Past is Prologue

An important part of knowing where we are is knowing where we were. Water quality staff at ICPRB recently reviewed and proofed decades of water data collected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct Division, which provides drinking water taken from the Potomac for Washington, D.C, and parts of northern Virginia. Data from 1905 to 2000 had been digitized from fading paper records and checked for accuracy to provide a look at Potomac water quality over time. The long-term trends in water temperature, salt content, and other factors were examined and published in “Potomac River Water Quality at Great Falls: 1940-2019.” Viewing the arc of water quality during more than 80 years of data can provide insights for all research and restoration efforts. Take a look at this video on the results:

 

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ICPRB looks at downstream risks of harmful algal blooms

Scientist sends testing equipment attached to a rope over the side of a bridge. Shenandoah river is below the bridge.

Rt. 340 bridge over Shenandoah
River near Harpers Ferry, WV

The ICPRB staff has researched algae blooms in the basin for many years. Most of this work has focused on chronic blooms of filamentous algae in the Shenandoah and Cacapon rivers in Virginia and West Virginia. While algae is an essential part of any natural waterway, chronic blooms, where algae forms large mats before decomposing restrict recreational use of stream and rivers and can compromise water quality and damage other aquatic life.

Another type of algae, known as blue-green alga or cyanobacteria can under some conditions produce a toxin that can be harmful to human and pets that ingest the water as well as aquatic life. The upper Potomac basin also has chronic blooms of blue-green algae that seem to be growing over time, most recently on the Shenandoah River, where the Virginia Department of Health issued a Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) Advisory for a 53-mile stretch of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River on August 10, 2021. The ICPRB was preparing to survey the bloom area with other organizations when Tropical Storm Ida brought torrential rains to the basin that scoured the algae blooms from the river. The ICPRB then ran its Emergency River Spill Model to attempt to track the algae and its toxins downriver. The model estimated the time it would take for the algae and its toxins to reach the Potomac mainstem. The extreme flow conditions and high dilution factors resulted in no detection of cyanobacteria, according to a recent ICPRB Report on the Rapid Response Survey.

The ICPRB is enhancing the spill model with sensing data collected by air and on the river that increases understanding of the river’s hydraulics during different flows and increasing tracking accuracy for algae or spills of oil or other toxics that can compromise river ecology and drinking water supplies.

Learn more…

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DWSPP and ICPRB Host Microplastics Webinar

On October 12, 2021, the Potomac River Basin Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership (DWSPP) and ICPRB held a seminar on microplastics in the Potomac River Basin from a source water protection perspective with a focus on drinking water. The seminar was organized by the Microplastics subcommittee of the Contaminants of Emerging Concern Workgroup of DWSPP.

DWSPP is a voluntary association of water suppliers and government agencies focused on protecting sources of drinking water in the Potomac River basin. This coalition of water utilities and management and regulatory agencies enables a comprehensive approach to protecting raw water supplies in the basin.

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Source Water Protection Week: Mike Nardolilli, ICPRB

Mike Nardolilli, ICPRB Executive Directors, shares information on ICPRB’s work on source water protection.

In celebration of the inaugural Source Water Protection Week, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin gathered videos and news from organizations who work hard to protect our drinking water.

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Source Water Protection Week: Nikki Bellezza, Fairfax Water

Nikki Bellezza of Fairfax Water shares information on their Water Supply Stakeholder Outreach Grant Program.

In celebration of the inaugural Source Water Protection Week, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin gathered videos and news from organizations who work hard to protect our drinking water.

Learn more: https://www.fairfaxwater.org/grants

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Source Water Protection Week: Heidi Moltz, ICPRB

In celebration of the inaugural Source Water Protection Week, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin gathered videos and news from organizations who work hard to protect our drinking water.

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About the Basin: Great Falls

Great Falls

September 3, 2021

A wide-angle view of a river between two rocky banks.

The dramatic rocky rapids of Great Falls provide the perfect background for yesterday’s history and today’s selfies. Two National Parks flank both sides of the Potomac at Great Falls: (1) Great Falls Park on the Virginia side; and (2) the C&O Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side.

According to archaeological records, this area has been a meeting place for thousands of years. The Piscataway and Powhatan tribes used the area for trading missions from 8000-1700 BC. Much of the modern history of the area involves the boom-and-bust cycle of towns built around one industry: the construction of the canal. The ruins of one such town, Matildaville which was named after the mother of Robert E. Lee, are still visible today.

Starting in the early 1800s, city folk would venture up the river via a 6 to 8-hour boat ride to eat, dance, and spend a mere $.25 to stay the night at the lodge. A carousel, installed in 1906, was a big draw for the Great Falls Amusement Park. The amusement park closed in 1952 but the carousel stuck around until Hurricane Agnes blew through and destroyed it in 1972.

Today, getting to the falls is much more convenient. Whether accessed from the Virginia or Maryland side, the falls are possibly the most photographed section of the Potomac River. As one of the more popular parks in the area, the riverside retreat is still a popular meeting place and can get crowded on nice days. Both sides of the river have visitor’s center with maps and history of the area and picnic tables to enjoy an alfresco meal.

On the Maryland side, visitors can get a small taste of the history by taking a boat ride through the 8-foot rise of the canal while park attendants, dressed in period costumes, tell the story of the area.

The falls are a natural boundary between the navigable tidal Potomac below and the river’s freshwater mainstem above, thwarting those who travel by water. This holds true for both humans and aquatic species, as this area is the natural upstream boundary of the American shad migration.

The variety of hiking levels go from “Easy Stroll” to “Mountain Goat-Inspired.” If you are of the mountain goat-variety hiker, check out the 1.7-mile Section A of the Billy Goat Trail. Make sure to bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and a map, as the short distance can be deceivingly hard, especially on warm days.

The rapids are for admiring, not for swimming or wading. It is dangerous and illegal to swim anywhere in Great Falls. The 15-mile Potomac River Gorge can create unexpected treacherous conditions even for the most skilled swimmers and paddlers.

Always check Current Park Conditions before visiting the park as trails or other areas of interest could be closed.


Looking for someplace new to visit in the Potomac basin? The weekly About the Basin feature highlighting destinations (on our Facebook, Twitter, and Potomac River Watch) are now available on the Wandering the Watershed map. Readers can now choose a destination from our compiled list of basin gems. Visit regularly as new postings will be added. Enjoy your tour through the Potomac basin! The new feature also can be accessed through the maps page on our website.

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Kristina Peacock-Jones Named New Pennsylvania Alternate Commissioner

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin Welcomes new Pennsylvania Alternate Commissioner Kristina Peacock-Jones. Peacock-Jones serves the Commonwealth as a Program Manager in the Compacts and Commissions Office at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and serves as the Commonwealth Drought Coordinator.

She manages the State Water Plan and Coastal Resources Management Program Sections and has experience with various grant programs. She began working at DEP seven years ago in the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water as the Environmental Group Manager of the Source Protection and Allocation Section. Previously, Peacock-Jones worked as an environmental and civil engineering consultant in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Environmental Engineering from Drexel University and is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania.

Peacock-Jones serves as an alternate to ICPRB Pennsylvania Commissioner Patrick McDonell, the DEP secretary. She replaces Summer Kunkel, also a DEP staff member.

Peacock-Jones’ wealth of background and experience make her a valuable new member of ICPRB, and we welcome her aboard.