Situational Awareness (Thursday, 2023-11-09)
Fluctuations in river flows associated with the bathymetric survey conducted at Potomac Dam No. 5 are now fully visable at Point of Rocks. Dry conditions persist throughout the basin with no rainfall occurring over the past three days and only trace amounts of rainfall expected over the next three days (around 0.02 inches).
Recent basin-wide average precipitation (above Little Falls):
(based on CO-OP's Low Flow Forecast System analysis of Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center (MARFC) gridded multisensor precipitation estimates)
Yesterday's area-weighted average basin precipitation: 0 (inches)
Past 3-day cumulative area-weighted average basin precipitation: 0 (inches)
Past 7-day cumulative area-weighted average basin precipitation: 0 (inches)
Daily flows:
Little Falls gage flow 2023-11-08: 637 MGD (986 cfs)
Little Falls gage flow 2023-11-09: 611 MGD (est., based on recently available real-time data) (945 cfs)
Note: Gage flow at Little Falls is measured after water supply withdrawals.
Point of Rocks flow 2023-11-08: 995 MGD (1540 cfs)
Point of Rocks flow 2023-11-09: 666 MGD (est., based on recently available real-time data) (1030 cfs)
Yesterday's estimated daily flows:
Great Falls estimated flow 2023-11-08: 637 MGD (986 cfs)
Note: Estimated flow below Great Falls intake is flow at Little Falls plus Little Falls water supply withdrawal.
Yesterday's Washington metropolitan area Potomac River withdrawals and discharges (2023-11-08):
Fairfax Water Corbalis withdrawal - Potomac: 88 MGD
WSSC Water Potomac withdrawal: 133 MGD
Washington Aqueduct withdrawal - Great Falls: 124 MGD
Washington Aqueduct withdrawal - Little Falls: 0 MGD
Loudoun Water withdrawal: 5 MGD
Loudoun Water Broad Run discharge: 6 MGD
Total Potomac withdrawal: 350 MGD
Total net Potomac withdrawal: 344 MGD
Yesterday's total system withdrawal (2023-11-08): 450 MGD
Loudoun Water Potomac River (PR) flow values for drought operations protocol (based on yesterday's flows):
QPR: 1540 cfs
QPR, obs: 1540 cfs
QPR, WS: 0 cfs
Note to Loudoun Water: See NWS ensemble flow forecasts (HEFS, GEFS, NAEFS) for Point of Rocks flow for the next 7 days – https://www.weather.gov/erh/mmefs_marfc?id=PORM2&model=NAEFS. See US Army Corps of Engineers Potomac River Basin page for observed releases from Savage and Jennings Randolph reservoirs - https://www.nab-wc.usace.army.mil/nab/poto.html; See US Army Corps of Engineers North Branch Potomac River and Savage River page for scheduled releases - https://www.nab-wc.usace.army.mil/nab/northBranch.html.
Note: Potomac River flow at Point of Rocks has dropped below the low-flow threshold of 2,000 cfs. When this occurs, per the Water Supply Coordination Agreement of 1982, CO-OP begins daily monitoring and reporting of Potomac flows and withdrawals on behalf of the CO-OP suppliers, Fairfax Water, Washington Aqueduct, and WSSC Water. Suppliers can review data at CO-OP's Data Portal at www.icprbcoop.org. Reports formatted in approved templates should be submitted by email to coop@icprb.org by 8:00 am for automated processing. Published monitoring reports are at http://icprbcoop.org/products/monitoring-reports.