2014 State of the Nation's River: River Friendly Growth

According to the Potomac Conservancy's 2014 State of the Nation's River, it is estimated that by 2040 the population in areas surrounding the Potomac Watershed will increase by 2.3 million residents. If this explosive population growth is not planned correctly it could be catastrophic for the health of land, waterways, and drinking water sources.

Mine Pool Waters Threaten to Contaminate Potomac

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, in cooperation with the Maryland Bureau of Mines and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, recently completed a multi-year project to determine the risk of polluted water discharge from mine pools near the North Branch of the Potomac River.

Chesapeake Bay Hypoxia Report 2014

Sampling of the Chesapeake Bay in early-August 2014 found that the hypoxic volume (dead zone) in Maryland's portion of the Bay is above average. In fact it is the 8th largest recorded in 30 years of sampling for Maryland. This particular dead zone was most likely caused by mixing in the water column when Hurricane Arthur pass in July.