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Length from the Fairfax Stone in WV to the mouth at the Chesapeake Bay: 382 miles
Width at its mouth, measured between Point Lookout in MD and Smith Point in VA: 11.3 miles
Average width from Washington to Harpers Ferry: 1,500 feet
Elevation at the Fairfax Stone: 3,125 feet above sea level Total Watershed: 14,670 square miles. Virginia = 5,723 sq. mi., Maryland = 3,818 sq. mi., West Virginia = 3,490 sq. mi., Pennsylvania = 1,570 sq. mi., and Washington DC = 69 sq. mi. Shenandoah River Watershed: 3,000 square miles. Water Flow: Average flow is approx. 7 billion gallons per day. The largest flow measured at Washington, DC, in March 1936 was 275 billion gallons per day. The lowest flow in September 1996, was 388 millon gallons per day before water supply withdrawals. Water Supply Withdrawals: 486 million gallons are taken out of the river for drinking water every day for the DC area. |
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One measure of a river’s health is the vitality of the fish living in the river. On the Potomac, we have three main problems: the decline of fish populations, intersex/sick fish, and fish kills. The three problems are related, and factors that contribute to one — to some degree — contribute to all three. |
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Our 2007 status report, Protecting the Potomac, is an first-rate primer for issues affecting the Potomac River and its tribuataries. You can read Protecting the Potomac here.
PRK, in conjunction with the University of Maryland's Environmental Law Clinic, has also released Writing for Your Watershed--a guide that helps watershed residents comment on the permits that allow pollution to run into our rivers and streams. You can download Writing for Your Watershed here. |
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There are many threats to the water quality in the Potomac River watershed. The Clean Water Act allows groups like Potomac Riverkeeper to initiate legal actions to protect our rivers and streams and the people who use them. PRK has initiated legal actions over raw sewage spills, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and agricultural waste. |
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Written by Robin Broder
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In this section, you can find links to studies and other resources related to water quality, as well as links to other groups working in our region to improve water quality in our rivers, streams, and the Bay. |
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