1. PROJECT PLAN: The Nature Conservancy Corps of Engineers ICPRB Presentation Potomac Watershed Roundtable January 9, 2009

2. QUANTITY Potomac River Basin  Traditional Thinking: We have adequate, even surplus water  1960s plan for 16 reservoirs  Past efforts to divert from the East  Potomac as supply for Region  Growth  Shared resource  Groundwater Depletion

3. CONFLICTS  Riparian Rights  Development – Historic and New  Drought and Aquatic Life  Consumptive Uses

4. SOLUTIONS  Stop Development  Court Cases  Integrated Water Resources Planning  Flow Management Data & Decisions

5. Potomac Jurisdictions  Maryland  Pennsylvania  Virginia  West Virginia  District of Columbia All Acting!! Not the Same!!

6. MARYLAND  Governor’s Advisory Committee on the Management and Protection of the State’s Water Resources  Undertaken in Response to Drought  Final Report July 1, 2008 by State Agencies and others  Planning Tools

7. MD RECOMMENDATIONS  Develop more robust program based on sound, comprehensive data  Adequately and reliably fund staff, program and information needs  Legislative, regulatory & program changes

8. PENNSYLVANIA  Act 220, November 2002 (20+ Years)  Update State Water Plan; 5-Year Cycle  Initial Draft Plan September 2008  Water Budget Tool  Critical Water Planning Areas  Past & New Instream Flow Projects

9. PA PRIORITIES  Collect, interpret, & disseminate water resources information (Base of SWP)  Integrated water resources management  Technology to conserve/ enhance water resources & conservation

10. VIRGINIA  Drought and response to Supreme Court decision; Water is a finite resource.  Non-consumptive uses increasingly in conflict for the same surface water with consumptive uses.  Water resource issues need to be better integrated into the comprehensive planning process.

11. VA VA VISION: Achieve full economic and environmental potential through sustainable water supply planning to meet current and future beneficial uses of water.

12.  Local/regional water supply plan  Local/regional water supply plan individually or as part of a region.  Develop a state water resources plan  Water reuse regulation  Legislation to address consumptive use in the Potomac VA PLANNING ACTIVITIES

13. WEST VIRGINIA  Legislative Issue – Inventory 2005 (Past Issues and VA vs. MD)  2008 Legislation – SB 641  No Changes to Riparian and Common Law

14. METRO AREA PLANNING  Low Flow Allocation Agreement & Water Supply Coordination Agreement  Minimize chances of a shortfall  Mandates coordinated operation of all facilities  Demand Forecast and Resource Assessments (5-year Cycle)  ICPRB Role

15. POTOMAC LOW FLOW ISSUE  Origin in 1980 with LFAA and WSCA  Raised during drought 1999 -2002  ICPRB led group  Need for sound-science base

16. POTOMAC FLOW MANAGEMENT GIVENS  Potomac will be supply for region  Impacts from growth, climate change  Protect values – quality of life, ecology, Chesapeake Bay  Basin-wide need and approach  The Nature Conservancy expertise, interest, & funds  Corps of Engineers studies & funds (Middle Potomac)

17. THE PROJECT FRAMEWORK 1. Assemble Planning Team/Conduct Initial Workshop (ICPRB Lead) 2. Assess & Compile Biological & Water Quality Data (ICPRB Lead) 3. Develop/Refine Hydrologic Model & Database (ICPRB Lead w/ VA DEQ?) 4. Develop Future Water Use Projections (ICPRB CO-OP 2010 Study) 5. Basin-wide Hydrologic Alteration Assessment (ICPRB Lead, TNC Support)

18. Continued 6. Basin-Wide Literature Review (TNC RFP) 7. Environmental Flows Workshop (TNC Lead) 8. Classify Streams – System Types (ICPRB Lead) 9. Develop Tributary Ecological Response Curves (ICPRB Lead) 10. Environmental Flows Workshops (Tribs – TNC Lead)

19. Continued 11. Middle Potomac Basin Watershed Assessment (ICPRB Lead) 12. Scope Full Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan (ICPRB Lead) 13. Transfer Knowledge (ICPRB Lead to States, COE, Stakeholders, Others) 14. Decision Support Tool For Water Allocations Considering Ecological Limits Of Hydrologic Alteration (ICPRB Lead – Unfunded to date)

20. BENEFITS AND PRODUCTS  Better, comprehensive basin planning  Involve Stakeholders (Many!)  Tools  Decision-making support  Regulatory certainty States advise and support