Reporting Region Summary:

Scores & Conceptual Diagram

	Bay Health Index	39% D+
Mid-ranked grade: D+ Small improvement compared to 2006 score (35); health remained in poor condition. Aquatic grasses continued to expand but water clarity remained very poor for the fifth year in a row.

	Index/Indicator	Score			Index/Indicator	Score
	Chlorophyll a	45%			Aquatic grasses	59%
	Dissolved oxygen	74%			Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity	24%
	Water clarity	8%			Phytoplankton Index of Biotic Integrity	22%
	Water Quality Index	42%			Biotic Index	35%

Excel Spreadsheet

Editable Vector Diagram (SVG)

Maps

This indicator map is already zoomed to the area of this region. You can pan and zoom and also change to another indicator map.

Trends Graph

This graph is dynamic, you can check and uncheck indicators ( checkboxes in legend), select year range ( click and drag), and export as an image (right click).

Editable Vector Version (SVG)

Excel Spreadsheet

Region Info

The Potomac River watershed drains approximately 14,670 square miles of land, covering four states. Major bodies of water in the area include the Potomac, Anacostia, Cacapon, Monocacy, the North Branch, the South Branch, the Occoquan, and the Shenandoah Rivers. The Potomac River flows over 383 miles from Fairfax Stone, West Virginia to Point Lookout, Maryland. Major cities in the watershed include Washington, D.C, Bethesda, Cumberland, Frederick, Gettysburg and Alexandria. Forest is the major land use, followed by agriculture. The 2000 census population of the watershed was approximately 5.35 million. Washington, D.C. alone had 3.7 million people (2000 census). Based on information available at the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin website.

Editable Vector Version (SVG)

Additional Info

Relevant Websites

Potomac Riverkeeper
Potomac Conservancy
Potomac River Association
Potomac Heritage Trail Association
Anacostia Watershed Society
St Mary's River Watershed
Maryland DNR - Tributary Strategies
Virginia Tributary Strategies
Chesapeake Bay Program - Tributary Strategies
National Estaurine Eutrophication Assessment database