One Basin, One Future Potomac River Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan Prepared by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin - 2018 - Dedication i VISION This plan provides a roadmap to achieving our shared vision that the Potomac River basin will serve as a national model for water resources management that fulfills human and ecological needs for current and future generations. The plan will focus on sustainable water resources management that provides the water quantity and quality needed for the protection and enhancement of public health, the environment, all sectors of the economy, and quality of life in the basin. The plan will be based on the best available science and data. The ICPRB will serve as the catalyst for the plan's implementation through an adaptive process in collaboration with partner agencies, institutions, organizations, and the public. Dedication ii DEDICATION This plan is dedicated to Herbert M. Sachs, an ICPRB Maryland Commissioner and Executive Director. He also served for decades with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment. He passed away in 2017. During his nearly 30-year tenure of service to ICPRB, Sachs led the agency’s efforts in supporting the regional Chesapeake Bay Program; reallocation of water supplies, cooperative law enforcement, and water quality efforts at Jennings Randolph Reservoir; and establishment of the North Brach Potomac Task Force, a group of stakeholders and officials facilitated by ICPRB that gives stakeholders a voice in management decisions. He also was at the helm when ICPRB embarked on its successful effort to restore American shad to the Potomac River. Throughout his tenure, Sachs pushed for keeping a long-term view of managing the river’s health, and consistently pushed the agency to consider comprehensive planning that would help ensure the many uses of the river for future generations. COMMISSIONER STATEMENT In 2014, ICPRB Commissioners authorized the development of a comprehensive water resources plan for the Potomac River basin, in conjunction with a wide range of stakeholders and in consultation with appropriate technical experts. This report is the culmination of that effort and represents what we believe to be a broad, informed consensus on a shared vision and a way forward. In authorizing its publication we affirm our commitment to protecting water supplies, drinking water sources, water quality and aquatic life in the basin. Specific details may not in all instances reflect the official views or policies of ICPRB signatories. Implementation is voluntary and is subject to applicable laws and regulations. AUTHORS' NOTE The authors are proud to have been a part of this collaborative process. It has been a pleasure and an honor. Completion of this document, however, is only a first step toward achieving our shared vision. Through ongoing implementation and adaptation, the vision can become a reality. Heidi Moltz, Associate Director for Water Resources Jim Palmer, Senior Hydrogeologist Claire Buchanan, Director of Program Operations Carlton Haywood, Executive Director ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Development of this plan was a collaborative process that depended on the thoughtful contributions of many organizations and individuals. The authors wish to acknowledge the leadership and vision of the ICPRB Commissioners. In addition, ICPRB gratefully acknowledges the dedication of the advisory committee members that volunteered their time and attention for this purpose and Kristin Rowles and Mark Masters of Policy Works LLC, who facilitated the advisory committee process. Policy Works LLC also authored Section 1.8.1 of the plan. The Commissioners and advisory committee members are listed below. A number of experts participated in advisory committee meetings during the development of this plan including Nicholas DiPasquale (Chesapeake Bay Program Office), Anna Compton (USACE), Zachary Clement (USDOE), Ed Ambrogio (USEPA), and Susan Gray (MD DNR). This plan was made better by the feedback received during a graduate student seminar at George Mason University (GMU). The authors appreciate the contributions of Curtis Dalpra and Renee Bourassa, ICPRB staff who provided the historical context of planning in the basin (Section 1.1), created the document format and layout, and offered thoughtful suggestions Acknowledgements iii for improvements throughout the process. Karin Bencala, ICPRB staff, prepared the annotated bibliography in Appendix B. Preliminary geospatial contributions to this work by Michael Glassman, former ICPRB intern, are greatly appreciated. Planning Assistance to States funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was utilized, in part, to develop Section 1.8.3 and Appendix D of this plan. Other sections of this plan were developed with ICPRB funds originating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and ICPRB member jurisdictions. ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS Advisory committee members that participated in all or part of the plan’s development are listed below along with their organizational affiliation at the time of participation. Hedrick Belin Potomac Conservancy Charles Bennett Knouse Foods Cooperative, Inc. Willem H. Brakel Department of Environmental Science, American University Patrick Campbell West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Tolessa Deksissa University of the District of Columbia Tom Devilbiss Carroll County, Maryland Martin Gary Potomac River Fisheries Commission John Grace Maryland Department of the Environment Mark Guise Gettysburg Municipal Authority Nancy Hausrath City of Hagerstown, Maryland Tom Hilton Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Sara Jordan Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Rhonda Manning Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Adam McClain Adams County Conservation District, Pennsylvania Lori Mohr Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Mishelle Noble Fairfax Water John Odenkirk Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Jennifer Orr Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Mark Peterson Loudoun Water Dusty Rood Rodgers Consulting, Inc. Donald Schwartz Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Planning Commission Ed Snyder Shepherd University, West Virginia Roland Steiner Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Mark Symborski Maryland – National Capital Park and Planning Commission John Wirts West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection ICPRB COMMISSIONERS District of Columbia: Willem H. Brakel, Hamid Karimi, and Tiffany M. Potter; Alternates: Kimberly L. Jones, James T. Tsai, Annemargaret Connolly Maryland: Governor Lawrence J. Hogan, Honorable Aruna Miller, and Robert J. Lewis; Alternates: Virginia Kearney and Nancy A. Hausrath Pennsylvania: Tim Schaeffer, Representative Dan Moul, and Ronald A. Stanley; Alternate: Jennifer Orr Virginia: David K. Paylor, Paul A. Holland, and Delegate Jackson H. Miller; Alternates: Scott W. Kudlas and Delegate J. Randall Minchew West Virginia: Harold Michael and Austin Caperton; Alternates: Phyllis M. Cole and John C. Wirts Federal Government: B.G. William H. Graham, Darryl J. Madden, Robert M. Sussman; Alternate: Amy M. Guise Table of Contents iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ....................................................................................................................................................................................ii Commissioner Statement .............................................................................................................................................................ii Authors' Note ...............................................................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................................ii Advisory Committee Members ............................................................................................................................................... iii ICPRB Commissioners ............................................................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................................................ iv List of Tables ........................................................................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................................................... vi List of Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................... vi Photo Credits .............................................................................................................................................................................. vii Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................................ viii Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................