Upper Potomac Riverkeeper

05/21/2026

This weeks Bacteria monitoring results.

05/08/2026

Happy Friday! The sampling season has begun and our Volunteers were busy collecting this years first set of samples. The weather is mild, the water is inviting and this week's results show all green.

A reminder that the bacteria results are only for the immediate area where people access the river. The results are not assessing the quality of the water for the entire river. It is always good practice to wash hands after all river activities before eating.

04/15/2026

If you are interested in becoming a water quality monitoring volunteer for the Upper Potomac, but could not make it to a scheduled training session, I will be at the Williamsport Park Boat Ramp Today, April 15th from 9 to 10 and at the Pinecliff Park Boat Ramp TOMORROW, Thursday April 16th also from 9 to 10.

I will have supplies available and hands-on training.

These two on-site trainings are only for volunteers wishing to sample for PRKN in the Upper Potomac area.

04/13/2026

We worked with so many partners in Maryland and in Virginia to make this happen.

We made progress on PFAS in both MD and VA -- sewage sludge is starting to be regulated and counties empowered to act. But more work needs to be done to arrest this continuing threat.
Read more here: https://ow.ly/Cola50YIqQC

03/30/2026

I hope to see all of last year's Volunteers and hopefully some new faces on Wednesday.

Calling all river lovers!! Want to reconnect with your river while giving back to the community?

Join Potomac Riverkeeper Network this spring and summer as a water quality monitoring volunteer! April is full of training sessions up and down the Potomac -- whether you're in the mountains near Frederick, MD or live on the beachfront in Colonial Beach, VA we have a training session near you. Register for one of our training sessions below:

-- Wed. April 1, 2026 | Upper Potomac | Hagerstown, MD : https://give.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org/event/uprk-wqm-training-2026-mt-aetna/e777245
-- Sat. April 11, 2026 | Upper Potomac | Frederick, MD : https://give.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org/event/uprk-wqm-training-2026-hood-college/e777265
-- Tues. April 28, 2026 | Lower Potomac | Colonial Beach, VA : https://give.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org/event/prk-wqm-training-2026-colonial-beach/e783749
-- Wed. April 29, 2026 | Potomac | National Harbor, MD : https://give.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org/event/prk-wqm-training-2026-national-harbor/e783748

Our labs are Tier III certified in both Maryland and Virginia and are used to analyze water samples taken from nearly 40 sites along the Potomac River. The results are then published to Swim Guide to let the public know when and where bacteria levels fall within the safe recreation limit of 410 MPN/mL.

Become a part of something amazing and join our community science team!

02/13/2026

Sampling for PFAS in a stream near you. PFAS can move through the ground from a source to a river, or run off after rain or snow melt. By testing river water close to the source, we can determine the severity of the pollution impact.

02/07/2026

Betsy Nicholas and I were invited to brief the Environment and transportation Committee last week on the issue of PFAS along side MDE and Industry. We have two PFAS related bills that just dropped in Maryland, a PFAS in Products Phase Out bill and a Limits on PFAS in Biosolids for land application bill. Stay tuned for more info.

But we both just had to wear our Riverkeeper "Nothing cleans a river like a lawsuit" shirts.

01/29/2026

"The Riverkeeper" - Dean Naujoks made the Late Show with Steven Colbert. "No Jokes" on this issue because the bacteria levels and many other pollutants have contaminated the Potomac River. Great work Dean bringing attention to this issue on the national stage.

09/18/2025

This week's Bacteria results may represent recent rains. This is our last week of sampling for the season. I want to thank all the volunteers for their dedication to this program. Stay tuned for an end of season review and membership meeting.

09/04/2025

This week's Bacteria results are in and generally the access sites look good. Please always use caution when recreating on the water, conditions can change. Always wash your hands before eating.

I want to say thank you to all our volunteers who take time out of their day every week to collect samples. We have two more weeks until the end of the 2025 sampling season.