CONTRIBUTION TO DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION

For payment of the United States share of the current expenses of the Delaware River Basin Commission, as authorized by law (75 Stat. 706, 707), [$269,000] $283,000. (Energy and Water Development Appropriation Act, 1984.)

STATEMENT OF WARREN G. STAMBAUGH, CHAIRMAN, INTERSTATE COMMISSION ON THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT A FISCAL YEAR 1985 FEDERAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION ON THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN. MY NAME IS WARREN STAMBAUGH. I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION, A MEMBER OF THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES, AND ONE OF THREE COMMISSIONERS

APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA.

I HAVE WITH ME PAUL

EASTMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMISSION.

THE PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 1985 BUDGET RECOMMENDED NO APPROPRIATION FOR ICPRB. WE REQUESTED $70,000 AS THE FAIR FEDERAL SHARE OF THE TOTAL BUDGET OF $591,000.

THE ICPRB

INCLUDES THREE PRESIDENTIALLY APPOINTED COMMISSIONERS, WHO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ONE OF THE LARGEST WATER USERS AND RIPARIAN LANDOWNERS ON THE RIVER. THE FEDERAL SHARE HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN EQUAL TO--NEITHER MORE NOR LESS THAN--THE LARGEST OF THE REQUESTED STATE CONTRIBUTIONS. THIS VERY TANGIBLY SIGNIFIES A FULL AND EQUAL PARTNERSHIP IN A VITAL JOINT MISSION.

THE AUTHORITY FOR THE FEDERAL APPROPRIATION TO ICPRB IS ARTICLE IV OF THE POTOMAC BASIN COMPACT AS AMENDED BY PUBLIC LAW 92-407, 91st CONGRESS, IN SEPTEMBER 1970. IT STATES "THE MONEYS NECESSARY TO FINANCE THE COMMISSION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF ITS BUSINESS IN THE CONSERVANCY DISTRICT SHALL BE PROVIDED THROUGH APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE SIGNATORY BODIES {THAT IS, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA} AND THE UNITED STATES... " CONGRESS HAS REAFFIRMED ITS ORIGINAL MANDATE BY APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE COMMISSION FOR A FEDERAL SHARE EVERY YEAR BEGINNING WITH FISCAL YEAR 1949.

THE ICPRB,

YOU HAVE OUR BUDGET JUSTIFICATION SO I WILL ONLY BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT MAJOR WORK PROGRAM ITEMS IN THIS SUMMARY STATEMENT. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE OF MARYLAND, THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND TWO LOCAL WATER UTILITIES LAID THE CORNERSTONE FOR THE NATIONAL

CAPITAL AREA WATER SUPPLY SOLUTION IN JULY 1982 WHEN THEY
EXECUTED EIGHT SEPARATE AGREEMENTS THAT ASSURE THE AREA AN
ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY. THE

AGREEMENTS MANDATE THAT THE ICPRB SECTION FOR COOPERATIVE WATER
SUPPLY OPERATIONS ON THE POTOMAC (CO-OP) IMPLEMENT COORDINATED
WATER SUPPLY OPERATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA. THE
AGREEMENTS OF JULY 1982 ARE THE RESULT OF A FIVE YEAR
INVOLVEMENT OF THE CO-OP STAFF IN DEVELOPING THE TECHNICAL
FRAMEWORK FOR THE WATER SUPPLY SOLUTION AND THE START OF THE
ON-GOING COMPUTER-BASED MATCHING OF SUPPLY TO DEMAND.

THE SOLUTION OF THE AREA'S WATER SUPPLY PROBLEM DOES NOT
INVOLVE THE CONSTRUCTION OF MAJOR NEW PROJECTS, BUT RELIES
RATHER ON THE COOPERATIVE OPERATION AND EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF
EXISTING SUPPLIES. THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN THEIR
1983 METRO WASHINGTON WATER SUPPLY REPORT ACCEPTED THIS ALMOST
COSTLESS COOPERATIVE SOLUTION AS BY FAR THE BEST. ITS VALUE IS
OBVIOUS WHEN IT IS COMPARED WITH THE "STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS"
PROPOSED BY THE CORPS IN THE 1977 NORTHEAST WATER SUPPLY STUDY
WHICH RANGED IN COST BETWEEN $250 MILLION AND $1,000 MILLION.
THESE SAVINGS OF HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE IN STARK
CONTRAST TO THE TOTAL ANNUAL COST OF THE COMMISSION'S OPERATION
OF LESS THAN $600,000 AND OUR FEDERAL APPROPRIATION REQUEST OF
$70,000.

THE DROUGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BEING IMPLEMENTED BY CO-OP DEPENDS ON 1) EARLY DETECTION OF DROUGHTS, BASED ON LONG-RANGE STREAMFLOW FORECASTS, 2) ACCURATE SHORT-TERM WATER USE AND SUPPLY FORECASTS DURING DROUGHT PERIODS, AND 3) OPTIMAL ALLOCATION OF SUPPLIES ON A REGIONAL BASIS DURING DROUGHT PERIODS. THE SYSTEM WAS TESTED AND PROVEN SUCCESSFUL DURING LAST YEAR'S LONG DRY SUMMER. IN THE SPRING, CO-OP FORECAST ADEQUATE POTOMAC RIVER FLOWS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. ALTHOUGH IMPACTED BY THE DROUGHT, THE FLOWS REMAINED SUFFICIENT TO MORE THAN SATISFY THE HIGHEST USE OF WATER FROM THE RIVER IN HISTORY.

ICPRB ALSO HAS ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN CONTINUING THE IMPROVEMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN THE POTOMAC ESTUARY, THE LARGEST ARM OF CHESAPAKE BAY. THIS IS A NATURAL FOLLOW-UP TO THE DECEMBER 1983 CHESAPEAKE BAY CONFERENCE AND THE EARLIER EPA REPORTS ON THE BAY. IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY BLUE-GREEN ALGAE BLOOM IN THE UPPER ESTUARY DURING THE SUMMER OF 1983 AND THE APPEARANCE OF A NUISANCE SUBMERSED AQUATIC PLANT (HYDRILLA). THE LATTER ALREADY IS A DISASTER TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE'S DYKE MARSH BELOW ALEXANDRIA, VA. UNLESS CONTROLLED, HYDRILLA COULD RUIN ANOTHER 30,000 ACRES OF SHORELINE WATER IN THE UPPER ESTUARY. BOTH OF THESE DISTRESSING PHENOMENA OCCURRED WHEN GREAT

REDUCTIONS IN POINT SOURCE POLLUTION HAD BEEN ACHIEVED ALONG WITH IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND INCREASED FISHING, BOATING AND OTHER WATER-RELATED RECREATION.

ICPRB IS WORKING WITH OTHERS (METRO WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, USEPA, DC, MD AND VA) TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES AND POSSIBLE CORRECTIONS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY ALGAE BLOOM. THE UNUSUALLY HEAVY SPRING RUNOFF LADEN WITH NONPOINT SOURCE NUTRIENTS FROM THE UPPER BASIN; THE DRY, SUNNY AND HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM JUNE UNTIL OCTOBER; THE LOW SUMMER POTOMAC FLOWS; THE POINT SOURCE NUTRIENT DISCHARGES; AND OTHER FACTORS WILL BE INVESTIGATED ALONG WITH ANY POSSIBLE MEANS OF CONTROL. 1983 DEMONSTRATED THAT MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE EVEN THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN AN OBVIOUS NET GAIN FOR THE POTOMAC IN THE PAST TEN

YEARS.

ICPRB ALREADY IS FOCUSSING ITS STUDY EFFORTS ON THE

TRANSPORT OF SEDIMENT AND ASSOCIATED NUTRIENTS TO THE ESTUARY FROM NONPOINT SOURCES SUCH AS AGRICULTURE IN THE UPPER BASIN. APPROXIMATELY 50 MILLION TONS OF SEDIMENT ARE ERODED EACH YEAR FROM THE UPPER BASIN BUT AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN 2 MILLION TONS ARE DELIVERED TO THE ESTUARY BY THE RIVER.

EROSION OF SEDIMENT

AND NUTRIENTS CAN BE REDUCED FROM THE UPPER BASIN AND THE

ON-SITE AND OTHER LOCAL BENEFITS ARE READILY APPARENT.

HOWEVER,

EFFECTS OF THESE NONPOINT SOURCE CONTROLS ON DOWNSTREAM DELIVERY

OF SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENTS TO THE ESTUARY ARE NOT CLEAR.

OUR STUDIES WILL PROVIDE FUTURE GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING
HOW FAR UPSTREAM AND OVER WHAT TIME PERIOD NONPOINT SOURCE
CONTROLS WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING ESTUARY WATER QUALITY.
THE RESULTS ARE VITAL TO COST EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF NONPOINT
SOURCE POLLUTION CONTROLS FOR FURTHER CLEANUP OF THE POTOMAC
ESTUARY AND CHESAPEAKE BAY.

SPECIFICALLY WITH REFERENCE TO THE HYDRILLA PROBLEM, ICPRB
HAS ORGANIZED THE HYDRILLA ACTION COMMITTEE (HYDRAC) AT THE
REQUEST OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO
DEVELOP AND APPLY MANAGEMENT MEASURES TO PREVENT THE DAMAGING
SPREAD OF THIS NUISANCE SUBMERSED AQUATIC PLANT. CHAIRED BY
ICPRB, THE COMMITTEE INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL
PARK SERVICE AND OTHER FEDERAL, STATE AND REGIONAL AGENCIES.
ICPRB PLAYS A UNIQUE INTERGOVERNMENTAL ROLE IN THE POTOMAC
BASIN. IT HAS PUT FEDERALISM INTO CONCRETE--AND
SUCCESSFUL--PRACTICE FOR OVER 40 YEARS. WITHOUT FEDERAL
PARTICIPATION, THERE WILL BE AN EMPTY PLACE AT THE TABLE.
FEDERAL PARTICIPATION ENHANCES EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF

THE ESSENTIAL LOCAL-STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONSHIPS SO VITAL TO THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL AND OTHER NATIONAL INTERESTS IN THE BASIN. I
FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE BENEFITS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FAR
EXCEED THE COST OF THE $70,000 APPROPRIATION WHICH WE ARE
REQUESTING.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY, AND NOW MR.
EASTMAN AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.