Potomac Conservancy celebrates 30 years of fighting for clean water
Reflecting on our achievements and the river of challenges before us
photo by william macfarland, www.macfarlandphoto.net
This year, as we celebrate three decades of restoring clean water, we find ourselves at a momentous juncture—a place where the past converges with the future, and where the currents of our work have carried us to waters of hope and possibility.
Thirty years ago, we embarked on a journey to revive the Potomac River, the lifeblood of our community. Our hometown river was in trouble, burdened with the weight of pollution and generations of neglect. Its turbid and algae-ridden waters were hazardous to touch and deprived wildlife of healthy food and habitat.
The “Nation’s River” was calling out for help.
In response, a passionate group of paddlers took a stand in 1993 to save the ecologically rich shorelines of Mather Gorge from encroaching development. Resolved to create a ripple of change, they formed Potomac Conservancy, a land trust charged with safeguarding the scenic lands and waters of the Potomac River region.
Our clean water mission remains deeply rooted in conservation and community.
Through tireless work, community engagement, and forging strong partnerships, we’ve united a powerful movement that is driving transformational change for clean water. Together, we’re improving local water quality by protecting and restoring our forests – the Potomac’s best defense against pollution and the climate crisis.
Our organization has grown over the years, and so has our impact.
photo by william macfarland, macfarlandphoto.net
🌳 PROTECT: As a nationally accredited land trust, we created a mountain-sized wildlife management area and conserved over 15,000 acres of forests and freshwater ecosystems in the Potomac’s headwaters.
💧 RESTORE: We helped pass bipartisan laws at every government level that have increased conservation resources, raised environmental protection standards, and funded forest and stream restoration across the region.
🗑️ EMPOWER: Our hands-on stewardship activities have removed 162 tons of litter from local waterways and engaged 45,000 volunteers in cleanup, trail maintenance, water recreation, and tree restoration activities.
🤝 AMPLIFY: We have advanced conservation in the region and strengthened the efficacy of joint efforts through strategic partnerships and our leadership in coalitions throughout the watershed.
These hard-fought achievements are the building blocks in the bridge of progress, guiding us to the Potomac’s remarkable recovery.
In our latest Potomac River Report Card, the river’s health marks earned a “B,” an improvement from a dismal “D” just fifteen years ago. Relieved by declining industrial and farming pollution, our local ecosystem is starting to function as nature intended.
Today, our waters teem with life. Once-barren streams support healthy habitat for fish, otters, bald eagles, beavers and countless other critters. Waterfront businesses are booming, and more people than ever are turning to the river for adventure and connection to nature.
Potomac Conservancy’s work to revitalize our waters is instilling a growing sense of pride in the Potomac River and ownership in its future. From our humble beginnings, we now stand proudly with 30,000 supporters who are making a difference for the waters that flow through our communities.
Yet, as we reflect on this journey, we are reminded that the river of challenges runs deep.
Restoring clean water is an ongoing fight — and one that is getting harder. Rapid forest loss is increasing polluted runoff and weakening our community’s resiliency to flash floods, extreme heat, rising waters, and other climate stressors.
Until the Potomac River is safe enough for everyone to eat its fish and swim in its waters, our job’s not done.
Flowing over 400 miles from Appalachia to the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac is one of the country’s wildest urban rivers and the life force of our region. Five million people depend on the river for drinking water and rely on it for outdoor enjoyment.
Our community deserves clean water.
photo by will parson, chesapeake bay program
The path ahead is clear: this is the decisive decade for the Potomac River.
In our 2022-2023 Annual Report, you’ll learn how we’re meeting this critical moment by accelerating our conservation efforts, advancing local climate solutions, and building bridges into new communities with a focus on inclusion and equity.
With your continued support, we will cross into a future where clean water flows freely for all.
With deepest appreciation and hope,
Hedrick Belin
President, Potomac Conservancy