News

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Catherine McCabe appointed Maryland Commissioner

June 10, 2021

Catherine McCabe has been appointed as a Maryland commissioner to ICPRB. The Bethesda, Md., resident had a long career in public service in the field of environmental protection, serving as an environmental attorney and high-level government executive at the federal and state levels, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the New York State Attorney General’s office.

As Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection from 2018 to January 2021, McCabe led ground-breaking initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to climate change, revitalize water infrastructure, prevent contamination of drinking water with lead and emerging chemical contaminants, and promote environmental justice and reinvigoration of underserved communities.  Under her leadership, New Jersey was a leader in addressing PFA contamination in drinking water, becoming the first state to issue regulatory limits, and enacted a landmark environmental justice law to prevent disproportionate location of polluting industries in overburdened communities.

McCabe previously served as the acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator and acting Region 2 administrator in 2017. She also previously worked as the deputy administrator for EPA Region 2 . She was a judge on the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board from 2011 to 2014 and a deputy assistant administrator of the agency’s office of enforcement and compliance assurance from 2005 to 2011. McCabe worked for the U.S. Department of Justice for 22 years. Prior to working for the federal government, McCabe was an assistant attorney general for New York.[3]

Her experiences make her a valuable addition in helping guide ICPRB in its mission to protect and preserve the water and associated resources of the Potomac Basin. Welcome aboard, Ms. McCabe!

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ICPRB Quarterly Meeting to be held March 2

February 24, 2021

The ICPRB Second Quarter Business Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, from 9:45 a.m. until noon. The ICPRB meetings are public, and guests can register by sending an email to info@icprb.org with your name and affiliation by Friday, February 26, 2021. A copy of the draft agenda is available.

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William Willis appointed Pa. Commissioner

February 22, 2021

The ICPRB staff and commissioners welcome William J. Willis as a Pennsylvania commissioner. Willis teaches at the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pa., where he is the Director of Environmental Initiatives and an environmental science teacher.

Willis led the creation of an environmental master plan for the school, and chairs the environmental committee. His efforts cover environmental initiatives in all elements of school life, including facilities, student engagement, community outreach, residential life, administrative planning, and curriculum. He also conducts monthly stream monitoring with students and local citizens as a cofounder of the Johnston Run Revitalization Team.

Since coming to the academy in 2001, Willis has worked in many other aspects of the school, including director of International Programs, and alumni and annual giving.

Willis previously worked in education marketing and served as director of the nonprofit Bitterroot Ecological Resources, Inc., working to increase public awareness and engagement in the Bitterroot River Valley in Montana.

Willis past and current activities make him well-suited to help with similar efforts in the Potomac watershed, and ICPRB looks forward to seeing his science and outreach skills bring a positive impact. Welcome aboard!

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Press Release: Drought Exercise

November 16, 2020

Drought Exercise a Key to Protecting Metropolitan Drinking Water

11/16/20
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rockville, MD

Although the region’s streamflows currently are above normal, the region’s major water suppliers and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin Section for Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP) will exercise their ability to respond to severe drought conditions during a multi-day exercise beginning November 16-18, 2020.

The exercises are a way to practice operations under severe drought conditions, when the normally independent utilities work cooperatively with CO-OP so that each utility can meet the demands of their customers while minimizing the need for restrictions. The three major water suppliers draw the bulk of their raw water from the Potomac. A drought of record could drop the flow of the river below what is needed to meet high summertime drinking water demands. When riverflow and other data indicate a coming shortage, CO-OP can guide Potomac use among the utilities and manage releases of stored water to meet demands. The Jennings Randolph reservoir on the North Branch Potomac holds billions of gallons of water that can be released downstream to meet utility demands and environmental flow concerns. The much smaller Little Seneca Reservoir in Montgomery County, Md., is used to adjust river flow in the short term as a release from Randolph Reservoir can take about nine days to reach the metropolitan suppliers’ intakes.

The exercise uses simulated low flows that allow all parties to practice daily reporting procedures, internal communications, and releases of stored water.

This year’s exercise will focus on honing the communications channels between the utilities, CO-OP, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, divisions of which operate both as a metropolitan water supplier and operator of Randolph Reservoir. Another focus is the modeling that incorporates drinking water demand data and forecasts from utilities, precipitation, and stream flow data to determine the timing and volume of reservoir releases. In addition, the exercise will include an actual release from Little Seneca Reservoir, and improved data reporting systems.

These procedures are honed by the annual exercise, and have resulted in a very resilient drinking water system for the Washington metropolitan area’s more than four-million residents who rely on the Potomac as their primary drinking source. More information about the metropolitan water supply system and CO-OP are available on the ICPRB WEBSITE .

For more information on the exercise, contact Curtis Dalpra, info@icprb.org; 301.274.8107

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ICPRB Working Cooperatively to Improve Cleanup Accuracy

October 14, 2020

A new study by ICPRB biologist Claire Buchanan and other authors has provided an improved method for assessing nutrient levels in the surface waters of the Chesapeake Bay and will provide an improved way to judge the effects of nutrient reduction best management practices. The regional Chesapeake Bay cleanup is based on reducing nutrients and sediments to restore the waterway’s health. Excessive nutrient levels contribute to algae blooms that cause a succession of water quality problems. Buchanan teamed with scientists from the University of Maryland, the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Chesapeake Research Consortium to produce Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay: Development of an empirical approach for water-quality management.

The model can help direct future efforts in nutrient reduction through improved modeling that can increase effectiveness and reduce costs. Future research will focus on the Potomac and other bay tidal tributaries.

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ICPRB Celebrates 80 Years

January 17, 2020

The commissioners and staff of ICPRB celebrate as 2020 marks our 80th anniversary of protecting and preserving the Potomac River basin.

These 80 years have seen incredible change in the Potomac basin, and much has been accomplished by ICPRB and many others to return the Potomac to a resource that its residents so gratefully use and rely on for drinking water, recreation, commercial/agricultural use, and a way to appreciate nature.

The commission will be telling its story during the year in a number of ways, including a social media “Throwback Thursday” series on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Each Thursday throughout 2020, ICPRB posted a photo that highlighted the history of the river and the efforts to protect and preserve it throughout the past 80 years. Join in the conversation on social media by using #Potomac80.

Below is a slideshow of all the social media posts.

[timeline src=”https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12JNbMYeF38MiHq-IKoraXiOLALhBGay73fusgfE_o7s/edit#gid=0″ width=”80%” height=”650″ font=”Default” lang=”en” version=”timeline3″ ]

 

Anniversary Celebration Brochure

The Anniversary Celebration Brochure highlights the accomplishments of ICPRB over the last 80 years. Additionally, after 8 decades of success, we look to future decades with the fourteen recommendations from the Potomac River Basin Water Resources Comprehensive Plan.

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Is the Potomac Getting ‘Dirtier and Dirtier and Dirtier’?

December 17, 2019

A statement from Michael Nardolilli, Executive Director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin:

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson has generated lots of discussion about the Potomac River in a recent interview that included his belief that the Potomac River has gotten ”Dirtier and dirtier and dirtier and dirtier. I go down there and that litter is left almost exclusively by immigrants, who I’m sure are good people, but nobody in our country—.”

The Potomac is certainly cleaner than it was 30 years ago in almost every respect. However, stormwater, and the litter it carries, remains a major impact to the Potomac. Stormwater collects litter from everywhere in the landscape and dumps it in waterways. Research suggests that trash in our rivers is a long-term problem throughout society and is not limited to any particular socioeconomic or racial group.

Research shows the large scope of the problem and assessed efforts to combat the issue, both in the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay cleanups. The annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup held every spring since 1989 brings thousands of volunteers to area waterways, showing the region’s strength of commitment. Many great organizations organize cleanup events throughout the year and we encourage basin residents to join them. These cleanup are underpinned by research showing that trash in our waterways is a problem created across social and economic boundaries.

Much progress has been made and the Potomac River is cleaner than it has been in decades. Litter is a problem, but it is not the only threat to our Nation’s River and it is certainly not linked with any specific group of people. Nutrients, sediment, and the medical and industrial chemicals placed in the river each day also contribute to the pollution problem. But even with these threats, the resilience of the river and its people is evident. Each day, the river provides clean drinking water, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat to those who are lucky enough to live within its watershed.

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ICPRB Activates Drought Monitoring

September 27, 2019

Most of the drinking water consumed in the metropolitan area comes from the Potomac River, which is now in its driest part of the year. Low river flows caused the ICPRB Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP) to begin daily monitoring of river conditions this week. Decreased river flow at the Point of Rocks gage on the Potomac (upstream from drinking water intakes) triggers the first stage of CO-OP drought monitoring, where river flow and, drinking water withdrawals are collected and assessed daily. If conditions continue to worsen, estimates of future demands will be included in the daily assessment. Currently, Point of Rocks gage shows a flow of about 1.16 billion gallons per day. Current water withdrawals for the metropolitan area total about 443 million gallons per day.

The current low river conditions are not unusual for this time of year, and the increased monitoring by CO-OP occurs in many years. The probability that releases of stored water from upstream reservoirs is still small. The enhanced monitoring is a part of a robust system employed by water suppliers, state water managers, and ICPRB to ensure that the region has a reliable source of drinking water even during drought conditions.

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About the Basin: Michaux State Forest

August 30, 2019

The southern half of the 85,000+ acres known as Michaux State Forest is on the top edge of the Potomac River watershed near Gettysburg, Pa. The contiguous forestland encompasses several state parks and natural areas.

Michaux State Forest is part of Pennsylvania’s 1.2 million-acres of state forests, but it boasts a variety of “firsts” for forestry in the Keystone State, including the first tree nursery, the first forestry academy, the first wooden fire tower, the first steel fire tower.

Year-round recreation opportunities abound in Pennsylvania’s “cradle of forestry”. Areas for ATVs, hiking, fishing, boating, horse riding, mountain biking, and camping can be found throughout the park. During the colder months, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and cross-country skiing are popular activities. Maps for most of these activities, plus an auto tour of the forest, are available online.

Michaux State Forest has 60 miles of nicely maintained trails, this includes 36 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

Several lakes and reservoirs offer a tranquil destination for anglers and boaters, including the Long Pine Run Reservoir. Several stocked trout streams offer the chance for excellent cold-water fishing.

Always check with the local authorities regarding permits for recreational activities.

 

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About the Basin: Scott’s Run Nature Preserve

August 22, 2019

Waterfalls, boulder hopping, and rare flowers can be found right off the beltway — you just need to know where to look.

A small waterfall in the background leads to stream pools in the foreground.

Scott’s Run Nature Preserve (Photo: MostlyDross, 20131122_7739)

Scott’s Run Nature Preserve is a choose your own hiking adventure type of place. Want a short, meandering walk with the kids? There’s a trail for that. Want to jump boulders while clambering up steep, rocky trails? There’s a trail for that. Want breathtaking views of waterfalls and the Potomac River? Yep, there’s that (but for safety reasons, swimming and wading are not allowed).

The trails are not blazed, but the park is small enough that there is little chance of getting lost. The park’s 384 acres is bordered by I-495, Georgetown Pike, the Potomac River, and a subdivision. The Fairfax County Park Authority provides a detailed topographic map online as well as at kiosks throughout the park.

The only blazed trail is the Potomac Heritage Trail (PHT), which runs through the park. The PHT is a network of trails that run from the tidal Potomac to the upper Youghiogheny river basin.

Spring is a popular time to visit the park due to the carpets of wildflowers found amongst the trees.

The park truly is an oasis amongst the traffic, noise, and hubbub of city life. That was by design. The land was bought in the 1920s by a D.C. attorney, Edward Burling, as an escape from the city. Mr. Burling would visit his cabin well into his 90s and yet refused to let trees be cut down to install a phone line. When Mr. Burling passed in 1966, the parcel of land became the poster child for the nascent environmental movement when the local community fought developers from turning it into a subdivision. The story even made it into the New York Times (The Making of a Park, 1970).

Study the topography of the map before heading to the park. This will help decide which of the two parking lots to use and which adventure to choose.

Contact us for more information