So we have greater capacity than--greater need than capacity? Is that what you're saying?

So I just would encourage you and thank you for supporting as much of the science information as we can get so that we can make the right decisions.

The normal operations, yes, and that has a big negative impact on the habitat immediately downstream.

There's no such thing as average, which is also true.

We're very interested, and we have an excellent relationship with the State and with Exelon on this issue.

So how would you characterize what happened this past weekend on the amount of rainfall that we received?

The Susquehanna River is critically important to the Chesapeake Bay and to our environment.

I'm trying to get the benefit if we were to increase the capacity at the reservoir on a normal basis.

I think by working hand in hand with Exelon and all the other partners that are here in this room, we can find a good balance here.

So the advantage is you trap the sediments from ever getting downstream if you have capacity upstream.

The Susquehanna River and its tributaries is the single largest freshwater river in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

So you've estimated an initial cost of somewhere between a half a billion to $3 billion to get the capacity back to where it was in the mid-1990s.

I thought we had reached this dynamic equilibrium.

Can you just comment at all about the risk factors we have on nutrient levels and toxics and others?

Well, my concern is if you're going to have more nutrient as the result of a scour event that occurs in the spring rather than in another time of the year.

I think that's the real challenge that we have in dealing with this, so that all stakeholders are treated fairly.

The upstream pollution is not healthy for the Bay. We know that.

Because they don't particularly like the fish lifts?

I understand what you're saying as far as the amount of pollution that goes in upstream.

I think it's absolutely key that we have the best science judge what we can do.

I want to thank our witnesses for their willingness and interest in testifying at today's hearing.

The Conowingo Dam is a merchant power production facility that generates 1.6 billion kilowatt hours of zero-carbon energy annually in the State of Maryland.

You're absolutely right. People identify with their own community, and the way that you've done that is very successful.

It depends upon confidence that all stakeholders are being treated fairly.

We need greater capacity. We need more room in the fish passage lifts to lift them up.