Healthy old-growth forests improve water quality and can help tackle the climate crisis

Whiteoak Canyon — Photo courtesy of AJ Delos Santos via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

On a cold Saturday morning in bustling South Arlington, I watched runners and cyclists getting in their cardio on the busy Four Mile Run Trail. A frequent user of the trail myself, this time I decided to do something different.

After a few moments of soaking up the sun on a nearby bench, I started heading toward Glencarlyn Park to spend some time among old trees—and learn more about an ecological community that deserves our full attention.

Glencarlyn Park is home to one of Virginia’s old-growth forests—forests that have flourished over a long period of time free from significant disturbances such as tornadoes, insects, fires, development, or, most commonly, industrial logging.

These indigenous forests are rarer than you think, as almost all of them have been timbered. On the East Coast, they have been cleared down to just 1% of their original area prior to the arrival of Europeans. Yet, their importance for water quality and tackling the climate crisis is tremendous.

Old-growth forests’ ancient beauty and microclimate have numerous health, psychological, and spiritual benefits for people from all walks of life. They also:

Represent complex ecosystems that boast incredible biodiversity as their dense canopy layers offer habitat for wildlife and provide shelter from wind, rain, and sun
Keep air and soil temperatures down
Absorb and store atmospheric carbon while producing oxygen, improving air quality and mitigating the effects of the climate crisis.

Benefits of forests — Photo courtesy of Hanna Knutsson via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) (shrew) and john brighenti via Flickr (CC BY 2.0) (trees)

But that’s not all—the mature root systems and soils of healthy old-growth forests also improve conditions for local streams and creeks. The network of roots binds soil and filters excess nutrients and pollutants, preventing them from flowing into waterways that empty into the Potomac River.

The quality of water in rivers and streams is directly impacted by the health of the lands that surround them. Mature forests expertly prevent erosion, filter out water pollution, and reduce further contamination from polluted runoff. All benefits that we’re able to take advantage of thanks to the absence of logging.

In turn, all forests depend on the health of the rivers that flow through them, as clean water is vital for plants and animals to thrive.

Recognizing this crucial connection, Potomac Conservancy is working hard to permanently protect and conserve riverside forests, so they can grow naturally into maturity and benefit future generations.

We know that clean water is crucial for the health, sustainability, and resiliency of local communities, and believe that now is the time to make a committed effort to protect old-growth forests.

Take one of these actions today for clean water and forests:

Take a walk in an old-growth forest near you (find a list here) and enjoy the deep reflection it inspires. Also, nominate a forest to be included in the Old-Growth Forest Network to help make old-growth forests accessible to all.
Speak up for forest protection laws in your area. Sign up here to receive updates on Potomac Conservancy’s efforts to protect local forests and waterways.
Get nuts for clean water this fall 🐿️ Our newly launched Tomorrow’s Trees initiative invites volunteers from all walks of life to collect acorns in their communities, gift them to state nurseries, and help grow future forests. Join us today!