Our Time to Act! 

Our community deserves a healthy, resilient Potomac River that is safe enough to fish and splash in. Together, we can fulfill this promise – but we must act now.

Join Potomac Conservancy’s Campaign and help raise an ambitious $8 million to dramatically increase the pace and scale of conservation in our region. This is the decisive decade. We must restore clean water to the Potomac River.

Will you join us?

 
 
 

Our Campaign Progress

Help Us Raise the Final $1 Million!

We've reached 88.2% of our $8 million goal. Help us raise the final $1 million and ensure a clean water future for the Potomac River!

$8,000,000
Goal

Help Make the Potomac River Safe for Everyone

Goals of Our Campaign:

Our Clean Water - Healthy Communities Campaign for the Potomac River prioritizes 4 major goals: PROTECT our riverside forests, RESTORE a resilient Potomac, ACTIVATE community change, and CATALYZE public funding.

PROTECT
Saving our
Riverside Forests

  • Protect 20,000 acres of streamside forests, doubling upstream conservation

  • Conserve 75 miles of riverside trees to protect water quality

  • Form a Back Creek Conservation Corridor to protect streams and wildlife

RESTORE
Shaping a
Resilient Potomac

  • Restore 250+ stream miles with shoreline trees

  • Reforest the Potomac River region with 3,000+ new trees

  • Provide farmers with critical resources to reduce agricultural water pollution 

ACTIVATE
Empowering
Community Change

  • Grow our clean water movement from 30,000 to 65,000+ supporters

  • Launch a Neighborhood Hub leadership model to expand stewardship and partnerships

  • Accelerate our policy impact to advance state and federal environmental protections

CATALYZE
Strengthening
Public Funding

  • Secure protection of our drinking water sources

  • Establish new state funding for land protection in Virginia

  • Dismantle barriers to deploying existing federal funding for conservation programs in the Potomac’s headwaters

 
 
 

Your Impact

 

Why It Matters

The Potomac is our river – The “Nation’s River.” Over five million people rely on the Potomac for drinking water. The river drives our economy, provides habitat for diverse wildlife, and connects us to outdoor enjoyment that enriches our lives. 

Potomac Conservancy understands the vital bond between clean water and community well-being. As an accredited land trust, we improve local water quality through conservation strategies that protect streamside forests, restore resilient ecosystems, activate community change, and catalyze funding for river protection programs. 

We have seen remarkable progress. The Potomac is the cleanest it’s been in generations, but rapid forest loss and extreme climate impacts are increasing pollution. We have a small window of opportunity to make the Potomac resilient and healthy – to finally return swimmable and fishable waters to all communities. 

We must meet this moment with urgent and bold action, not just modest improvements. 

Join our Clean Water, Healthy Communities Campaign today! This first-of-its-kind endeavor will raise an ambitious $8 million to vastly increase the pace and scale of land and water protection in our region. Together, we will protect and restore the Potomac River for all of us, forever.

 
 
 

Latest Impact

Over the years, the Hogbin family has watched encroaching sprawl destroy more and more of the rural lands and wild streams in their community. Now, they’re taking steps to protect their local environment.

Learn how Potomac Conservancy helped the Hogbins permanently protect 51 acres of the land they cherish. »