Potomac Riverkeeper Network

Potomac Riverkeeper Network Potomac Riverkeeper Network, headquartered in Washington, DC is home to three Riverkeepers: Potomac, Upper Potomac, and Shenandoah Riverkeeper. WE NEED YOU.

We are home to a dedicated staff of 11 employees and lots of members, donors, and volunteers working diligently to protect the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. We boast three Riverkeepers: Shenandoah Riverkeeper, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper, and Potomac Riverkeeper. Our Riverkeepers form the front line in the fight for clean water, offering expertise and a hands-on approach to river conservation. Our

staff is committed to preserving the public's right to clean water throughout Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Your support helps us to continue our work to protect clean water for the Potomac Watershed.

Congratulations to Lora Lumpe, the lucky winner of the Trash Free Shenandoah kayak raffle!Volunteers from 18 different T...
05/31/2026

Congratulations to Lora Lumpe, the lucky winner of the Trash Free Shenandoah kayak raffle!
Volunteers from 18 different Trash Free Shenandoah partner groups were entered into the drawing for a beautiful Old Town 106 kayak, generously donated by Don Roberts and Front Royal Outdoors.

Lora earned her entry by participating in the Alma cleanup organized by Community Works 4Page and led by Sara Finn.

A huge thank-you to every volunteer who rolled up their sleeves to help keep the Shenandoah watershed clean. Your hard work is making a real difference—and this kayak is just one small way of celebrating the incredible people who make Trash Free Shenandoah such a success!

As expected, many sites surpasses water quality standards this week following some much needed rainfall! Other sites tha...
05/29/2026

As expected, many sites surpasses water quality standards this week following some much needed rainfall! Other sites that passed but had high levels of bacteria above 235 MPN were Old Angler's Inn, Lock 6, Pinehurst Branch and Fletchers Boat House. 💧

We're happy to introduce the Potomac River Health Index - a public-facing tool built on Minedco’s SmartScore MQI framework to support PRKN’s water quality monitoring efforts. It turns multi-source monitoring data into a simple, color-coded view of river conditions, making trends, patterns of improvement, and localized alarms easier to see over time. Explore the platform here: https://prhealthindex.streamlit.app/

This year we are determining pass/fail on Swim Guide using only the Single Point Maximum of 410 MPN (Most Probable Number) for E. coli. In more brackish waters, like Colonial Beach, the f***l indicator bacteria, Enterococcus, is used, with a threshold of 130 MPN.

05/28/2026

Now until May 31st, your gift to our Give Greater DC campaign can make 2X the difference for our community! A $5 gift becomes $10. A $25 gift becomes $50!

We are grateful for our amazing partners at for matching up to $5,000 for this campaign! Especially in areas like Rock Creek where bacteria hotspots exist, water quality data is essential so the public can be in the know and make informed decisions on recreation activities and river contact.

Help us reach our goal by the end of May to support our Community Science Water Quality Monitoring Program: https://www.givegreaterdc.org/o/prknetwork ♥️

05/28/2026

For generations, osprey have been one of the clearest signs of a healthy Chesapeake Bay. Now, researchers say chicks in some parts of the Bay are starving before they can even leave the nest.

Scientists and conservation groups say the alarming trend could point to bigger problems unfolding across the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

FULL STORY: https://www.13newsnow.com/article/tech/science/environment/virginia-va-chesapeake-bay-osprey-chicks-concerns-health/291-36be21f6-caa7-44ab-a191-e3437511730f?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_13News_Now_-_WVEC

05/26/2026

DC Water’s current PI Repair and Rehabiliation Plan is open for public comment! Navigate to our “Potomac Interceptor Sewage Spill Data and Updates” page to read the current draft and submit comment: https://potomacriverkeepernetwork.org/potomac-sewage-spill-data-updates/

Last Monday, we were present alongside community members at DC Water’s meeting in Glen Echo to share our concerns with the proposed remediation plan. Our recent survey showed that wildlife and fish were the top concern for 86% of respondents after the sewage spill, yet the current draft plan fails to address them. A majority of respondents also expressed interested in more comprehensive testing to include things like sediment — also not found in the current draft plan.

Make your voice heard 📢

Video Credit: MDE Youtube

Thanks to Don Roberts at Front Royal Outdoors , volunteers who participated in this year’s Trash Free Shenandoah cleanup...
05/25/2026

Thanks to Don Roberts at Front Royal Outdoors , volunteers who participated in this year’s Trash Free Shenandoah cleanups were eligible to enter a raffle to win an Old Town Kayak like this one!

Thank you Don for your generosity and thank you to all of our volunteers for your hard work and dedication to our rivers. 💧

05/23/2026

The rain gods finally started listening to our prayers. The current drought in the Shenandoah Valley has raised concerns for communities to meet the needs of their residents, businesses and visitors, as well as impacts to farmers and agriculture. If that’s not bad enough, prolonged drought conditions increase fire risk in the region. The Shenandoah Valley started receiving rain Wednesday afternoon and it is expected to continue through most of today. When it is all said and done the region will have received over two-inches of much needed gentle rain over the span of four days. While this rain event will not get us out of the drought, it has definitely started pushing river levels up in the right direction. On Wednesday, the Front Royal gauge was a very bony 1.2’. The forecast for Sunday is for the gauge to be at 2.8.’

EDIT: The Colonial Beach Monroe Bay site actually exceeded safety levels as confirmed by a resample. For week two of wat...
05/22/2026

EDIT: The Colonial Beach Monroe Bay site actually exceeded safety levels as confirmed by a resample.

For week two of water quality monitoring we have another very green map - with the exception of Normanstone Run in Rock Creek. There were several other sites that passed, but whose results had high levels of bacteria. They include: Battery Kemble Creek, Boundary Bridge, and P St. Beach.

NOAA's precipitation portal shows 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain expected over Memorial Day weekend throughout the Lower Potomac, so please be aware that the data may change after rainfall. Typically, if a site has more than 1 inch of rain, you should wait 48 hours before coming into contact with the river.

This year we are determining pass/fail on Swim Guide using only the Single Point Maximum of 410 MPN (Most Probable Number) for E. coli. In more brackish waters, like Colonial Beach, the f***l indicator bacteria, Enterococcus, is used, with a threshold of 130 MPN.

Have a great extended weekend! 🐟

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