March 2008 USGS Maryland-Delaware-DC Water Conditions Summary

Water levels rose in streams and wells in March throughout most of the Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia area, however, ground-water levels in Central and Southern Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula remain very low. Thirty percent of the streams used to monitor water conditions were below normal, 67% were at normal levels, and only the Conococheague Creek in Washington County was above normal. Ground-water levels improved, or rose in most of the wells used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to monitor water conditions, however 15 of the 25 wells are below normal, and the remaining 10 are at normal levels.

Precipitation

March 2008 rainfall was below normal at the National Weather Service Baltimore, Georgetown, and Washington National stations in Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, respectively. The rainfall deficit for the past 365 days is more than 10 inches in Dorchester, Howard, Montgomery, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties in Maryland, and Sussex County in Delaware.

Source: National Weather Service
MD and DC: http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=lwx
DE: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/
Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/marfc/Maps/precip.html

Streamflow

Streamflow at gages used by the USGS as climate indicators across the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia region was normal at 20 of 30 stations. Only one site was above normal, leaving 9 sites below normal. The lowest streamflow levels were in Southern Maryland and the Southern Delmarva Peninsula.

The 5-year hydrograph for Nassawango Creek near Snow Hill in Worcester County, MD shows the water level has risen, as expected, however it remains below normal. This part of the state has a rainfall deficit of more than 10 inches.

Ground Water

Ground-water levels have risen in most of the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia region, however 54% of the wells in unconfined aquifers used by the USGS to assess response to climatic conditions were below normal. Wells with below normal water levels for March are shown in red, brown, and orange in the water table wells map. The areas with the lowest ground-water levels are the Delmarva Peninsula and Central and Southern Maryland. The well in Wicomico County tied the record low set in 2006. Water levels in wells in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Kent County, Delaware are also very low.

The 5-year hydrograph for this deep, unconfined aquifer well in Wicomico County shows the water level (shown as a dark line), tied for a record low with March 2006. The water level has been far below normal levels since July 2007.The water level in the Montgomery County well has also shown signs of recharge, yet it is still in the 10th percentile (colored brown).

Reservoirs

Water available from the Baltimore reservoir system (Loch Raven, Liberty, and Prettyboy) increased 6% to 84% of the available storage (63.8 billion gallons) at the end of March.

Water stored in the Triadelphia and Duckett Reservoirs, which serve Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, increased to 8.17 billion gallons or 78% of the normal capacity at the end of March.

More Information

Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia

USGS Drought Watch

USGS Water Summary

Streamflow

Ground Water

Chesapeake Bay

National

USGS Streamflow and ground-water levels

U.S. Drought Monitor from the National Drought Mitigation Center

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Contact

U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey

Wendy S. McPherson (wsmcpher@usgs.gov)
Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center
5522 Research Park Drive
Baltimore MD, 21228
Phone:443-498-5555
Fax:(443-498-5510