Potomac Instream Flow Methods Workshop

Introduction

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin ( ICPRB) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources coordinated and convened a workshop to bring together an expert panel and concerned stakeholders to establish a method for determining the minimum flow-by requirements. Two important guidance statements were developed to frame the overall flow-by study and workshop. These are:

1. The Management Objectives of a new flow-by study:
• Estimate the amount and quality of biotic habitat available at different flow levels, particularly as it relates to the current minimum flow-by requirement; and
  
• Determine what instream flows are required to provide adequate aquatic habitat and to prevent reduction of any representative important species beyond levels from which it cannot recover and re-colonize the area following a drought event.

2. The Workshop Purpose:
Investigate and develop a method to evaluate the environmental flow-by requirements of the mainstream Potomac River between Seneca Pool and Chain Bridge, with the aim of providing the following recommendations:
• The most favorable method, given current financial resource limitations, to address the Potomac River Flow-By Study objectives; and
• An alternative long-term method that could better accomplish those objectives, yet might exceed current resources or available data, and recommended guidelines for achieving the objectives in a longer time-frame.

Efforts planned subsequent to the Workshop are:

• This Workshop Summary Report, including panel recommendations is created and posted on the Internet for comment by participants
  
• After receiving comments, the final report will be submitted to the Habitat Assessment Subcommittee (HAS)
  
• The HAS will recommend further actions to the Potomac Flow-By Committee.