"Don't make plans to take a dip in the Potomac River any time soon. According to the Potomac River " Report Card," a report released by the Potomac Conservancy every two years, the river's health has stalled, neither improving nor declining. The "Nation's River" earned its second consecutive "B" grade in the last two years, for a total of five Bs in the past decade."
"The report shows a marked improvement from the river's alarming "D" score in 2011. As a result of decades of work, "bald eagles soar, more wildlife habitat is protected, and people are flocking outside to picnic, paddle, hike, and connect to their hometown river," the report says. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment levels are down, and "over 20% of the Potomac's forest and farmland is now conserved," with 245,000 acres protected in the last two years alone."
The Potomac River's health remains stalled at a 'B' grade, unchanged across the last two assessment cycles and totaling five Bs over the past decade. Water-quality indicators improved from a 2011 'D,' with reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. Over 20% of the watershed's forest and farmland is conserved, with 245,000 acres protected recently, and wildlife and recreational use have increased. Persistent polluted urban and suburban runoff, driven by deforestation and extreme weather, keeps the river unsafe for swimming and fishing. Weakened federal protections and lower conservation funding jeopardize recent gains. Priority actions include forest protection, stream and habitat restoration, legal defense of water safeguards, and community conservation activation.
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