Just 40 miles down the river from Fort Detrick lies Washington’s Spring Valley neighborhood and the campus of American University. 7 local animals making a comeback thanks to clean water. Thanks to decades of hard work following the Clean Water Act of 1972, many indicators of the Potomac’s health are trending in the right direction. All Rights Reserved. Trash pollution is a growing problem in the Potomac watershed. The river’s distance will vary with map projection and location of measuring tool in the river (ie. Learn about our resources and methodology here. The Army is a leading polluter of the Potomac River watershed. Unfortunately, similar to nitrogen loads, phosphorus loads in urban and suburban stormwater runoff continue to increase. They are believed to be the cause of intersex fish in the Potomac and other rivers throughout the country. Nutrient and sediment pollution continues to decrease in the Potomac over the long term, but short-term trends show mixed results. There are a variety of ways that pollution occurs in a river, but there seems to be excess pollution in … Potomac River Polluted With Harmful Chemicals A study by the US Geological Survey discovered pollutants that contain endocrine disrupters in several tributaries of Washington, D.C.’s Potomac River. [Walk over to the map and point to it while saying,] Let’s take a look at a map of the state of Maryland. The lower Potomac River is gross ly polluted. Common sources of phosphorus include agricultural and lawn fertilizers, detergents, effluents from wastewater treatment plants, atmospheric deposition, and detergents are sources of phosphorus in water bodies across the country. EDCs are found in a wide variety of places, including plastics, prescription medications, personal care products, and pesticides. D.C. grew over the years (see Appendix). Researchers have found more than 1,000 bottlenose dolphins in the Potomac River - an area that was once so badly polluted it was called a 'national disgrace' by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Preventing Pollution in the Potomac, 'The Nation's River' November 11, 2015. How do they get in the Potomac? Potomac River Polluted With Harmful Chemicals. MICHELLE LUBERTO/THE HOYA 50 years after President Johnson instigated efforts to clean up the polluted river, the Potomac remains tainted by the District’s sewage. [Walk over to the map and point to it while saying,] Let’s take a look at a map of the state of … Unfortunately, much of what our local rivers and streams experience is excessive channel erosion, which can have harmful effects on water quality and wildlife. Photograph by Evy Mages For the first time in ten years, the Potomac River is more polluted than it was two years ago. Unfortunately, not all sources of nitrogen are decreasing; nitrogen delivered through urban and suburban stormwater continues to increase due to increased development in the region. In town, there are manycommuters who drive to and from work. In addition to the EPA’s modeled data, this report includes United States Geological Survey (USGS) monitored pollution loads observed at a River Input Monitoring (RIM) station at Chain Bridge on the Potomac River. Hosted by Cenk Uygur & Ana Kasparian. The Potomac Conservancy, which released the 2020 Potomac River Report Card, said more polluted runoff from urban and suburban areas and fewer trees to slow and filter rainfall were among the factors causing the grade to slip. Observed nutrient loads are highly dependent on weather conditions and flow-normalized data are intended to remove the influence of river flow out of the trend thus making annual loads more comparable over time. In 1972, a warning sign on a dock by the Potomac River read, “warning: avoid contact with polluted river water.” Freudberg and Bieber claim that this sign should no longer be needed in regards to the Potomac River. What body of water supplies most of the drinking water for Montgomery County residents? What are PCBs and why are they harmful? Wastewater that’s released into the Potomac, even treated wastewater, can contain EDCs because treatment plants do not remove all endocrine disruptors. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment are top pollutants found in the Potomac River and its tributaries. middle of the river, Maryland shoreline, Virginia shoreline). Though some naturally occurring chemicals are considered endocrine disruptors (caffeine is an example) our increased use of man-made products with endocrine disruptors has increased the levels of these chemicals in rivers and drinking water sources. Awareness around the issues posed by plastic pollution has never been higher. We’ll keep you updated on local river news, wildlife, and fun outdoor events. Based on data from 2018 and 2019, heavier-than-average rainfall likely played an outsized role in the outcome, too. Planting and protecting riverside trees can help stabilize riverbanks and provide a barrier of protection against rushing rainwater. LIVE weekdays 6-8pm ET. A SiGN ON THE ANACOSTIA RIVER WARNS AGAINST FISH CONSUMPTION DUE TO CONTAMINANT LEVELS. Since that time, the Principal Staff Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Program has released a revised 2025 Planning Target load for sediment in the Potomac River basin (4.791 billion pounds). The Potomac Conservancy, which released the 2020 Potomac River Report Card, said more polluted runoff from urban and suburban areas and fewer trees to slow and filter rainfall were among the factors causing the grade to slip. A “B-” health grade is a big step up from the “D” grade the river earned just a decade ago. Similar to nitrogen loads, phosphorus contributions from urban and suburban stormwater runoff continue to increase, in contrast to other sources such as agricultural runoff. Agricultural fertilizers, livestock and pet waste, lawn fertilizers, atmospheric deposition, detergents, and automobile exhaust are common sources of nitrogen found in bodies of freshwater. They hunted in the forests, harvested foods from wetlands, and caught fish in the river. In the 1950s, reports of stench and dangerous levels of pollution clouded the Potomac’s reputation. Increased urban and suburban development and the conversion of natural landscapes to agriculture or forestry production, changes the rate at which water is absorbed by and flows across the landscape. Wastewater that’s released into the Potomac, even treated wastewater, can contain EDCs because treatment plants do not remove all endocrine disruptors. Polluted runoff remains the only growing source of pollution to the Potomac, but other things are threatening the river and our local streams. ©2020 Potomac Conservancy. Pollution in Potomac River drops to lowest point in more than a decade, report finds. Throughout the Potomac region, wastewater treatment plants have almost eliminated excess phosphorus from treated effluent; these treatment plants are also making progress to reduce combined sewer overflow events that contribute phosphorus during storm events. And micro-beads have long been banned in personal care products. The Federal Government has recognized this and paid a part of the price by erecting a filtration system for purify­ ing the water supply of the District of Columbia. The issues posed by plastic pollution increasing in is the potomac river polluted actually improve habitats “ ”... Our next monthly River Update email with River news, wildlife stories, and can the. 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