2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26108324D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 371

Offered March 9, 2026

Commending the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.

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Patrons—Tran and Watts

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WHEREAS, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, an advisory, nonregulatory, interstate compact agency of the federal government and Potomac basin states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, commemorated its 85th anniversary in 2025; and

WHEREAS, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) was authorized by an Act of Congress in 1940 in response to extreme pollution in the Potomac River basin, the second largest watershed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and a vital source of drinking water, recreation, and economic activity for Virginia and the region; and

WHEREAS, ICPRB's compact was amended in 1970 to empower the agency to address water resources and related land issues affecting two or more jurisdictions, strengthening regional cooperation to meet shared challenges and opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the agency is guided by its mission “to protect and enhance the waters and related resources of the Potomac River basin through science, regional cooperation, and education” and served for decades as a trusted forum among states, local governments, scientists, water suppliers, and community stakeholders working to safeguard the river and its tributaries; and

WHEREAS, since its founding, the ICPRB has helped improve wastewater treatment throughout the basin, supported restoration of aquatic life such as the American shad, and advanced data collection and scientific analysis to better understand water quality and ecological conditions in the region; and

WHEREAS, the ICPRB has also played an important role in protecting drinking water supplies through tools such as the Emergency River Spill Model and by organizing the Potomac River Basin Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership to improve communication and preparedness among water suppliers and state and federal agencies; and

WHEREAS, the more than three million Virginians who live in the Potomac River basin have benefitted greatly from the ICPRB's efforts to improve the water quality of the Potomac River and its tributaries over the past 85 years; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin hereby be commended for its legacy of service on the occasion of its 85th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the agency's contributions to the Commonwealth.