River report: 75% of the basin in moderate drought

🗺️ Drought conditions have only slightly improved over last week, according to today’s U.S. Drought Monitor Map, with 75% in moderate drought, 11% in severe drought and the remaining area is abnormally dry.

🌊 Flow at Point of Rocks USGS gage is 7,260 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is about have of the day’s historical median.

🌧️ Rain in the basin is 5.3 inches below average since last September.

☔ NOAA predicts 0.10-1.25 inches of rain over the next week.

Celebrating another year of protecting the source

Millions of people rely on water from the Potomac River for their drinking water. A regional organization, the Potomac River Basin Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership (DWSPP), is a voluntary coalition of water suppliers and government agencies that works to protect our water at the source.

Coordinated by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, DWSPP holds quarterly membership meetings, convenes focused workgroups, and works on special projects focused on a variety of source water protection issues such as PFAS and harmful algal blooms. Their work is highlighted in the recently published 2025 Annual Report.

Welcome, Commissioner Carl!

We would like to welcome newly appointed ICPRB Commissioner for Virginia, Justin Carl, who is the General Manager and CEO of AlexRenew, the wastewater treatment authority for Alexandria and parts of Fairfax County. With a lifelong dedication to environmental stewardship he will bring a valuable perspective to the Commission.

We would also like to thank the outgoing Virginia Commissioner Domenech for his dedication to protecting and preserving the Potomac River basin.

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.

ICPRB in the Community

Join ICPRB staff at one of these upcoming events…

• Mar. 28: Walk in the Woods: Spring Ephemerals with Charlotte Taylor Fryar (McLean, VA)

• April 11: Walk in the Woods: Potomac Marble (Dickerson, MD)

• April 18: Walk in the Woods: Trees and Tech in Prince William County (Bristow, VA)

• April 18: Earth Day Celebration (Frederick, MD)

• April 23: Adams County Earth Extravaganza (Gettysburg, PA)

• May 9: Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest (Frederick, MD)

• May 16: Anacostia River Festival (Washington, DC)

New data center website; Walk in the Woods announced; flushable wipe tax?; and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir – March 12, 2026 >>>

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!

• Mar. 28: Walk in the Woods: Spring Ephemerals with Charlotte Taylor Fryar (McLean, VA)

• April 11: Walk in the Woods: Potomac Marble (Dickerson, MD)

• April 18: Walk in the Woods: Trees and Tech in Prince William County (Bristow, VA)

• April 18: Earth Day Celebration (Frederick, MD)

• April 23: Adams County Earth Extravaganza (Gettysburg, PA)

• May 9: Walk in the Woods: Frederick Municipal Forest (Frederick, MD)

• May 16: Anacostia River Festival (Washington, DC)

Drought map improvements; Recreational advisory expected to end soon; Do flushable wipes exist? No.; and more, in this week’s Potomac News Reservoir – Feb. 26, 2026 >>>

River report: Drought Map improved

Flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage got a bump from the recent rain. Additional rain is in the forecast for next week.

Finally some good news from the U.S. Drought Monitor map released this morning. Around 90% of the basin that was in severe drought conditions (dark orange) last week has been downgraded to moderate drought conditions (light orange). According to the map, 8% of the basin still remains in severe drought.

Potomac Interceptor Updates

There has been a jump in E. coli levels. In general, higher bacteria loads are expected across the basin after rain—especially following such a long dry spell—as pet waste, agricultural runoff, and other pollutants make their way down the river. This is also why it is generally advised to not swim in the river for several days after a storm.

The D.C. Department of Health is expecting to lift the recreational advisory as early as Monday. The Maryland Department of the Environment, in reference to downstream monitoring for shellfish harvesting, announced, “Pending further confirmation testing, a precautionary closure will be lifted on March 10.”

After a seemingly Herculean effort by DC Water staff, the rock and debris that blocked the damaged Potomac Interceptor is nearly complete, according to the water supplier. No overflows have been reported since February 8. Public outreach continues with a virtual briefing from COG (including a presentation from ICPRB’s Dr. Cherie Schultz) earlier this week and community meetings last night and tonight with DC Water.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton took the opportunity to tie the spill to the overall need to strengthen DC’s water supply resilience when she questioned Lt. Gen. William H. Graham at the recent Transportation & Infrastructure hearing. “Clean water is not optional; it is fundamental to public health and safety. This incident underscores the urgent need for a secondary drinking water source for the District so that residents are not left at the mercy of a single, aging system,” Norton said.

Find more updates in the news articles below.

River Basin Commissions and Data Centers: Planning for a Growing Industry with Intensive Water Demands

ICPRB Executive Director Michael Nardolilli recently joined his counterparts at our sister river commissions from the Susquehanna and Delaware rivers to author an article on municipal planning for data centers and their thirst for water. The article is featured in the Pennsylvania Municipal League’s “Municipal Reporter” newsletter, River Basin Commissions and Data Centers: Planning for a Growing Industry with Intensive Water Demands (page 37).

ICPRB’s 2nd Quarter Business Meeting coming up

The ICPRB FY26 Second Quarter Business Meeting is coming up on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The meeting will be held at the first floor conference center at ICPRB headquarters in Rockville, MD.

Commissioners will hear a spotlight presentation on Chessie BIBI, learn more about the District Waterways Advisory Commission, and get general updates on ICPRB’s work. Find the draft agenda on our Business Meetings site on our webpage. The public is invited to attend the meeting or provide public comment. Please contact us by Friday, March 13 to register.

ICPRB has extended the application period for the Director of Finance and Administration. We are currently looking for someone to join our senior leadership team in Rockville, MD. This role leads ICPRB’s finance, HR, and administrative operations in support of our mission to protect and conserve the Potomac River basin through interstate cooperation. CPA certification is required.

Learn more >>>