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Water conditions continue to improve in Maryland, Delaware, and D.C. - Levels Increase in Ground Water and Streamflow During April

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

Contact:
Wendy McPherson (wsmcpher@usgs.gov)
Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center
5522 Research Park Drive
Baltimore, MD 21228
Phone:(443)498-5500
FAX: (443)498-5510

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Updated: May 5 , 2000

Substantially above-normal precipitation in April resulted in generally high ground-water levels and full reservoirs in the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. region, according to hydrologists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Baltimore, Maryland. Ground-water levels at the end of April increased throughout most of the area and are in either the normal or above-normal range throughout the entire bistate area. Monthly updates of ground-water conditions for 32 key observation wells located throughout Maryland and Delaware may be found at http://md.water.usgs.gov/groundwater/. Water storage in the Baltimore reservoir system increased by 20 billion gallons since the end of January to 80.7 billion gallons near the end of April, which is 100 percent of average and 12 percent above last year at this time.

The average streamflow into the Chesapeake Bay during April 200 was 96.3 billion gallons per day, which is 3 percent above the long-term average for April. In western Maryland and on the upper Potomac River, streamflow decreased but continued to remain in the normal range for the month of April. Streamflows on the Eastern Shore in April were generally lower than those measured in March, but were, nevertheless, above normal for this time of year. Throughout the rest of the bistate area, increased streamflow in local streams resulted in flows in the normal to above-normal range for April. Streamflow at the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., for April averaged 10.7 billion gallons per day, which is about 103 percent of normal for April.

As the nation's largest water, earth and biological science, and civilian mapping agency, the USGS works in cooperation with more than 2,000 organizations across the country to provide reliable, impartial scientific information to resource managers, planners, and other customers. This information is gathered in every state by USGS scientists to minimize the loss of life and property from natural disasters, contribute to the sound conservation and the economic and physical development of the nation's natural resources, and enhance the quality of life by monitoring water, biological, energy, and mineral resources.

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