Federal Oversight for the ICPRB

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, ICPRB, was one of the first organizations with a congressional mandate to consider water resources on a watershed basis, rather than along political boundaries. The ICPRB was authorized by congress in 1940 to address the pollution of the river. Back in the days when the ICPRB was formed, raw sewage flowed directly into Four Mile Run, Hunting Creek, Hooffs Run, and the Potomac River. The river tributaries were putrid and clogged, a foul mix of bubbling, decomposing human waste in brown waters. Shorelines were devoid of wildlife, and tests showed dozens of disease-causing pathogens. Water pollution was so bad that propeller airplane passengers from D.C. (filled with the members of congress) could look down and see the sludge. The extent of the problem was documented in 1949 by the Izaak Walton League, one of the first conservation organizations in the U.S., in a film showing water conditions in Alexandria.

Over time the ICPRB has changed. In the 1978 the  Potomac River Low Flow Allocation Agreement in 1978 was created in response to the droughts of the 1960’s and 1970’s.  ICPRB today allocates and manages water resources of the river through the management of the jointly owned Jennings Randolph Reservoir (built in 1981), Potomac River Low Flow Allocation Agreement (1978) and the Water Supply Coordination Agreement in 1982 which designated a section of the ICPRB as responsible for allocating water resources during times of low flow. These action improved reliability of the water supply and ensured maintenance of in-stream flows to meet minimum aquatic habitat requirements. The section of ICPRB responsible for all this is known as the Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP), and is formally empowered in its duty by the Water Supply Coordination Agreement of 1982.

This ICPRB is intended to coordinate all the political entities, Maryland, Virginia, Fairfax Water, Washington DC, the federal government and counties and cities within and dependent on the watershed to address the basin’s major challenges, including water quality impairments, water supply and restrictions, flooding, groundwater use, nonpoint source pollution and emerging contaminates. Now the ICPRB is about to change again. Last week  the U.S. House of Representatives released the following press release about forthcoming changes in oversight:

The U.S. House of Representatives passed Representative Rob Bresnahan’s, Jr. (PA-08) legislation, H.R. 3428, the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act. The legislation, which passed by a unanimous vote, would increase Congressional oversight of three river basin commissions, ensuring they implement the necessary practices to serve as good stewards of taxpayer resources.

“Over the years, rivers in the Mid-Atlantic have grown in importance as our populations have grown and water usage has increased,” said Rep. Bresnahan.“Due to this expansion, the commissions that manage these rivers have been handed a growing amount of responsibility that has largely gone unchecked by the federal government, despite their involvement across state lines. My legislation will address this lapse by directing studies for recommendations and increasing federal oversight on these organizations, and I look forward to advocating for its passage in the Senate.” 

The commissions included in the legislation are the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB). Under this legislation, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will conduct a review focusing on each river basin commission’s ethics practices, communication with the public, and how each commission carries out federal responsibilities. The legislation first passed out of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) on June 11, 2025.

“Congressman Bresnahan’s good government bill ensures that federal river basin commissions for the Susquehanna, Delaware, and Potomac rivers are properly using their federal resources and spending taxpayers’ dollars wisely,” said T&I Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06). “Congress has a duty to conduct its oversight responsibilities over the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions. This legislation increases accountability and oversight of the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions, especially after a state-level audit of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission raised concerns about ethics compliance and appropriate use of funds. I want to thank Rep. Bresnahan for his work on this bill and his leadership on this issue.”