Potomac Riverkeeper moves to stop sewage discharge, Clean Water Act 40th Anniversary Activities, The North Branch of the Potomac, Island to Island Wrap up, and much more!

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Undeterred by the hardships that they endured during last year’s Island to Island trip, Whit Overstreet, Communications Manager for Potomac Riverkeeper, and Joe Hage, Caretaker for the Sycamore Island Club, set off yet again on a paddling odyssey down the Potomac.

Day 09 - 14 miles til land ho!

Last night, Whit and Joe went to sleep utterly aware that they had their longest crossing to conquer in the morning – 14 miles! Smith Point Marina to Point Lookout State Park: this is the widest stretch on the Potomac, right at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. I guess it was a good omen that a pelican flew over them this morning.

Day 08 - Surf’s up on the Potomac!

Winds were so bad today that Whit and Joe encountered 2ft waves on their paddle! No worries, Joe will just surf them.

Day 07 - Eagles, Osprey and Herons, oh my!

Wow, it’s already Day 7 of the Island to Island Journey with Whit and Joe and to say the least, these guys are tired. Their daily routine thus far is getting up by 4 in the morning (can you do that?), breaking down camp, dragging the kayaks to their launching point, re-packing their gear appropriately and setting off into the dawn light for a two-digit mileage paddle.

Day 06 - Who’s That Chick?

Hello everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Shelley and I’m the Education & Outreach Coordinator for Potomac Riverkeeper. As some could imagine, it’s hard to paddle and write a blog. I’m surprised that Whit is pulling off all of the tweets without dropping his phone in the river! (@PotomacRiver).

Day 05 - Getting a Tideful

Remember when I said that Whit and Joe’s newly improved model to paddle with the tide was proving to be a big success? Well, it’s effective in theory, but when it’s not practiced that’s another story.

Day 04 - The Early Bird Gets the Worm

Monitoring Twitter, I noticed that Whit and Joe have been up since 5am. Today, they left Aquia Landing at 6:18am to be greeted by local anglers working the bank in the beautiful morning light. I hear that Whit and Joe have had many discussions during this trip about how precious our river is as a water source, not only for drinking water, but for a way of life for many people and for recreation.

Day 03: Off to Aquia Landing!

Day 02 - Learning From Last Year’s Mistakes