Many small and mid-sized communities in the Potomac River Basin found their
water supplies strained during the droughts of 1999 and 2002. This prompted new
water supply planning initiatives in all four states within the basin. At the same
time, studies are conducted throughout the basin to determine the relationship
between stream flows and aquatic health and to develop environmental flow
thresholds to inform water withdrawal permit decisions [16–18]. Such environmental flow thresholds could limit the amount of water available to public water
suppliers and other users during low flow conditions. The renewed focus on water
supply and stream flows in the basin by the four states, metropolitan area suppliers,
upstream jurisdictions, and environmental organizations has prompted the ICPRB
to propose a basin-wide approach to water supply management as an integral part of
a new comprehensive water resources plan for the basin [19].
An important component of the data support necessary for this effort is information on water use. The states’ new water supply planning initiatives have
significantly increased the amount of available water use data in the basin. Though
Maryland and Virginia have had water withdrawal data collection programs in
Fig. 2 Map of upper Potomac River Basin, showing sub-basins, river segments, and major rivers.
Sources: Sub-basins—USDA/NRCS; river segments—Chesapeake Bay Program; rivers—
USEPA/USGS; coastline—NOAA; state boundaries—US Census
Interactive Geospatial Analysis Tool for Estimating Watershed-Scale. . .
145
water supplies strained during the droughts of 1999 and 2002. This prompted new
water supply planning initiatives in all four states within the basin. At the same
time, studies are conducted throughout the basin to determine the relationship
between stream flows and aquatic health and to develop environmental flow
thresholds to inform water withdrawal permit decisions [16–18]. Such environmental flow thresholds could limit the amount of water available to public water
suppliers and other users during low flow conditions. The renewed focus on water
supply and stream flows in the basin by the four states, metropolitan area suppliers,
upstream jurisdictions, and environmental organizations has prompted the ICPRB
to propose a basin-wide approach to water supply management as an integral part of
a new comprehensive water resources plan for the basin [19].
An important component of the data support necessary for this effort is information on water use. The states’ new water supply planning initiatives have
significantly increased the amount of available water use data in the basin. Though
Maryland and Virginia have had water withdrawal data collection programs in
Fig. 2 Map of upper Potomac River Basin, showing sub-basins, river segments, and major rivers.
Sources: Sub-basins—USDA/NRCS; river segments—Chesapeake Bay Program; rivers—
USEPA/USGS; coastline—NOAA; state boundaries—US Census
Interactive Geospatial Analysis Tool for Estimating Watershed-Scale. . .
145