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Browse History: Overall Bay (2008) | Patapsco and Back Rivers (2008) | Patuxent River (2008) | Potomac River (2008)

Chesapeake Bay - Reporting Region Summary:



  Estuary Selection Map

Scores & Conceptual Diagram


Bay Health Index
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon
44%
C-		Potomac River: 2008

Moderate-poor ecosystem health. Highest score in the past five years due to improved water clarity and phytoplankton and benthic community condition.
  • Water quality: Water Quality Index in 2008 was 45% (moderate). This is a slight improvement compared to the past few years due to slight improvements in water clarity. The dissolved oxygen score in 2008 (78%-good) was consistent with scores over the past 20 years, which have ranged between 69 to 81%.
  • Biotic indicators: Benthic and phytoplankton community condition improved in 2008, leading to the highest Biotic Index scores since 1993. Aquatic grass score has been declining for the past 3 years.

Score Legend 		Locator Map
  Index/Indicator Score     Index/Indicator Score
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Chlorophyll a
39%
   Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Aquatic grasses
48%
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Dissolved oxygen
78%
   Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity
40%
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Water clarity
18%
   Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Phytoplankton Index of Biotic Integrity
39%
 
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Water Quality Index
45%
   Biotic Index Icon Biotic Index
42%
 
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Dynamic Conceptual Diagram

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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.

potomac_riverconceptual diagram.png

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