Water Resources Review – August 2001

Updated: August 31, 2001

See definitions.

Maryland And Delaware. -- Streamflow increased throughout most of the bi-state area. In Western Maryland and on the upper Potomac River, streamflow increased, and moved from the normal to above normal range. In Central Maryland, flows increased, and moved from the normal to above-normal range. Flows on the lower Potomac River increased, and remain in the normal range. In northeast Maryland, flows increased, and moved from the below-normal into the normal range, after three months of below normal flow. On the Eastern Shore, streamflow decreased, and moved from the above-normal into the normal range.

Contents of the Baltimore reservoir system increased, and near month's end were 87 percent of capacity. End of month contents = 66,320 million gallons.

Ground-water levels decreased throughout most of the bi-state area. In western Maryland, ground-water levels fell, and remained in the above-normal range. In west-central Maryland, ground-water levels decreased, although moving from the below to the above-normal range. In central Maryland, water levels decreased, and remained in the below-normal range. On the Eastern Shore, water levels fell, and remained in the above-normal range.

---

Surface Water Data -- August 2001

[% = percent; ft³/s = cubic feet per second; in. = inches; Date = day of month;
¹ = Includes diversions for water supply; * = Above normal range; # = Below normal range]

Station name	Discharge		Runoff (in.)	Cumulative runoff			Maximum (ft^3/s) --- (Date)	Minimum (ft^3/s) --- (Date)
	Mean (ft^3/s)	Percent of normal		Total (in.)	Percent of normal	Departure (in.)
Potomac R at Paw Paw, W.Va.	*1870	178	0.69	11.19	70	-4.71	4570 (1)	826 (31)
Seneca C at Dawsonville, Md.	*117	208	1.34	13.33	79	-3.47	887 (12)	31 (9,10)
Potomac R near Washington, D.C. ^1	5860	142	0.59	9.50	66	-5.00	12800 (2)	2830 (30)
Deer C near  Rocks, Md.	51.2	71	0.62	12.12	64	-6.88	131 (11)	34  (29,30)
Choptank R near Greensboro, Md.	39.1	93	0.40	19.77	121	+3.47	96 (13)	23 (30)

Normal is defined as the median (50^th percentile) of long-term monthly-mean discharge or monthly total runoff. The normal range is defined as discharge or runoff falling between the 75^th and 25^th percentiles of long-term records. 

---

Ground Water Data – August 2001

Well number	Well name	Previous month		Reporting month
		Date measured	Level (feet below land surface)	Date measured	Level (feet below land surface)
GA-Bc 1	Accident	07-30	14.16	08-30	14.25
WA-Be 2	Fort Frederick	07-30	33.07	08-30	33.14
MO-Eh 20	Fairland	07-30	13.77	08-30	14.27
Jd 42-03	Camden	07-26	5.59	08-29	6.38

Name	Date measured	Water level (feet below land surface)	Departure from average (feet)	Change since previous month (feet)	Change since previous year (feet)	Last reversal
						Change (feet)	Date (month, year)
Accident	08-30	14.25	+0.24	-0.09	+0.49	-1.68	June 2001
Fort Frederick	08-30	33.14	+0.21	-0.07	-1.18	-7.38	Apr 2001
Fairland	08-30	14.27	-0.51	-0.50	-0.53	-2.19	June 2001
Camden	08-29	6.38	+0.46	-0.79	-0.38	-1.54	July 2001

---

Potomac River near Washington, D.C.  -  August 2001

Last day: 2920 cubic feet per second (estimated).
Reference period: 1971 to 2000.

Chesapeake Bay – August 2001

Total flow into the Chesapeake Bay was about 15.4 billion gallons per day, (BGD) 78 percent of average. August average: 19.8 BGD.

The three largest rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay contributed about 80 percent of total inflow in August, with individual contributions of:

River	Percentage of total inflow to Chesapeake Bay
Susquehanna River	23
Potomac River	33
James River	20
Total	76
Other rivers	24

Period of record: 1937 to Present. 

---

Related Information

Reports for previous months

Monthly Water Conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Region

National Water Conditions

Definitions of terms

Northeast Regional Climate Center (from Cornell University)

Monthly Climate Summary

---

For additional information, contact:

info@md.water.usgs.gov or call 410-238-4200.