Potomac River Fisheries Commission Meeting

The next full (quarterly) meeting of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) is to be held Friday, December 5th, 2014 at 9:00 AM. It will take place at the PRFC headquarters, 222 Taylor Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443. The public is invited, and highly encourage, to attend. 

Continued Concern for Dwindling Crab Populations

Concern over dwindling numbers of blue crab in the Potomac River continues to grow for Maryland and Virginia watermen. Some fishermen blame rockfish and catfish for eating juveniles, however, it is most likely a reduced number of spawning age females preventing the recovery of crab populations.

Analysis of the 2014 winter dredge survey, conducted by Maryland and Virignia, suggests that the number of spawning age females is well below the "safe level" of 70 million. For several years now the Potomac River Fisheries Commission has been working to reduce the number of female crabs caught by implementing harvest reductions. Unfortunately, the success of these reduction has been small, this year the number of females caught was reduced by only 8.9%.

Low crab numbers are driving prices up, due to a still high demand for crab meat, while putting crab fishermen out of business, as there's not enough for everyone to catch.

Read the original article: Despite Downturn, Some Local Watermen Optomistic

Maryland Blue Crab Moratorium?

Blue crab fishing in Maryland has been a struggle the past couple years, and there's a need for a solution to these low crab populations. Goucher College has proposed a  moratorium on crab fishing for a full year, and according to a poll taken by the college 63% of Maylanders are in support, but not by locals.

Potential Site for Recreational Boat Launch

Potomac River near Cumberland, MD.

Potential sites for a new recreational boat launch along the Potomac River behind Canal Place are being examined. An access point that includes paddling southeast across the existing portion of rewatered canal and exiting at the maintenance road that leads to the crest and railroad tracks is currently favored. At that point boaters would descend on a ramp that leads down to a grassy landing before entering the river.

In order for this to work, a ramp would need to be constructed on top of the flood control levee so that boaters can access the river bank. This will require the permission of CSX, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 

Park officials are currently studying the leakage problem at the Canal Basin, and think that the historic stone canal wall may need to be repointed. 

Officials hope a second launch site will be added above the dam beneath the Blue Bridge. 

Read the full article: Possible Boat Launch Sites Examined Along the Potomac River

Long Bridge Reconstruction

Photo came from the July 1983 Metro Memo Tabloid magazine, published by WMATA* 

The Long Bridge, which runs parallel to the 14th Street Bridge, is the only direct rail connection between Washington D.C. and Virginia.

Owned by CSX, the bridge sees 56 passenger and 23 freight trains each day, which is about 98 percent capacity at peak hours.  However, it is considered old and inadequate and in need to replacement.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has granted $2.8 million dollars for a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study to investigate the potential for

Determining the Maryland-Virginia Border

The Potomac River has long been considered the boundary between Maryland and Virginia. However, old and new court battles have raised the questions, when the river begins to shift and expose new land does the boundary also shift.

Potomac Shores, a corporation that owns land along the Potomac in Maryland, claimed to own a 150-foot strip of land that emerged on the southern side of the Potomac River bank as the river changed course. This area, known as Potomac Wayside, was commonly used as an

Contractor Sentenced to 10-months for Dumping National Mall Sewage in the Potomac

Potomac River at Great Falls.  Retrieved from: Dcist Photo Credit: Justin Shuck

Patrick Brightwell, manager of a contracting company, was hired hired by the National Park Service to clean the National Mall's storm water sewer system between 2009 to 2011.