It’s not fishable or swimmable yet, but according to the Potomac Conservancy, the Potomac River earned a grade of “B” for the fifth year in a row.
At a news conference overlooking the Potomac River at the Capital Yacht Club, Hedrick Belin, president of the Potomac Conservancy, told reporters Wednesday, “It certainly is a big turnaround from the dismal ‘D’ that it received in 2011, but it also means that progress has stalled.”
“The Potomac comeback is a great story — but it’s still in progress,” Belin said. “To truly make it an ‘A’ river, we need everyone. Whether you’re cleaning shorelines, signing letters or planting trees, everyone has a role to help protect the lifeblood of our region and our communities.”
Belin said the organization is hoping to raise $8 million before the end of the year for its Clean Water, Healthy Communities campaign.
Among the hurdles to getting to that A rating, according to Michael Nardolilli, executive director with the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, is development that results in the loss of forest land.
“That means that there are more impervious surfaces and there’s less opportunity for water, when it rains, to sink into the ground,” Nardolilli said, adding that creates runoff that pollutes the river.
Part of the solution, he said, would be to intensify efforts to add what environmentalists call “riparian buffers,” or strips of land with vegetation, along rivers and streams.
“So that there is natural vegetation that can help filter out pollutants before they reach the river,” Nardolilli said.
U.S. Rowing Olympian Aquil Abdullah, who describes himself as an advocate and steward for the environment, said he’s noticed the improvement along the river.
“The wildlife, the number of herons that we see now, when I’m out there, is a clear indicator that we’re on the right track,” Abdullah said.
But he agreed with Belin that there’s more work to be done.
The report indicates while some native fish species, such as American shad, are recovering, others, such as smallmouth bass, are struggling.
The report card from the Potomac Conservancy also points to a boost in recreation on and around the Potomac River, surging 10% since 2020.
Nico Foris, CEO of Guest Services Inc. based in Fairfax, Virginia, which operates boating facilities including Thompson Boat Center near Georgetown and the Columbia Island Marina, said part of the strategy to support interest in the health of the Potomac River can be summed up as getting “butts in boats.” He explained once people get out on the water, “there’s a vested interest” in getting, and keeping, the river healthy.
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