Daily Potomac flow and demand update (Saturday, 2025-09-20)

Submitted by admin1 on Sat, 09/20/2025 - 12:40

Situational Awareness (Saturday, 2025-09-20):
According to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center predictions, the next 3 days may see trace amounts of rain around the edges of the basin. The week-long outlook expects a total of around 0.5–1.5 inches, which is modest compared to the heavy rainfall bands in the central U.S.

Special Conditions:
None

Daily flows:
Little Falls gage flow 2025-09-19: 1797 MGD (2780 cfs)
Little Falls gage flow 2025-09-20: 1519 MGD (est., based on recently available real-time data) (2350 cfs)
Note: Gage flow at Little Falls is measured after water supply withdrawals.
Point of Rocks flow 2025-09-19: 1435 MGD (2220 cfs)
Point of Rocks flow 2025-09-20: 1383 MGD (est., based on recently available real-time data) (2140 cfs)

Yesterday's estimated daily flows:
Great Falls estimated flow 2025-09-19: 1797 MGD (2780 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 (2025-09-19):
Fairfax Water Corbalis withdrawal - Potomac: 123 MGD
WSSC Water Potomac withdrawal: 135 MGD
Washington Aqueduct withdrawal - Great Falls: 140 MGD
Washington Aqueduct withdrawal - Little Falls: 0 MGD
Loudoun Water withdrawal: 12 MGD
Loudoun Water Broad Run discharge: 7 MGD
Total Potomac withdrawal: 410 MGD
Total net Potomac withdrawal: 403 MGD

Loudoun Water Potomac River (PR) flow values for drought operations protocol (based on yesterday's flows):
QPR: 2220 cfs
QPR, obs: 2220 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.

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AM Report
Daily Monitoring