• Home

Lower Potomac River Initiative

Photo by: Mt. Vernon Ladies Assosciation

The Potomac River follows a winding 385-mile course from the Allegheny Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay - North America's most biologically diverse estuary - passing through parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.  On this course, it weaves through the foundation of American history, as well as hundreds of communities - both human and wildlife. To continue the existence of this invaluable resource, we must be vigilant in our protection efforts.

The Trust for Public Land's Lower Potomac River Initative focuses on conservation opportunities south of Washington, D.C., all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. From the viewshed of George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon to a diverse range of working farms, our work encompasses the many different landscapes along the Potomac.  To date, TPL's real estate transactions has resulted in the protection of more than 5,000 acres along the Potomac River and its tributaries.

Potomac farmland, MD Photo by: Rodger Krussman

People have lived, worked, farmed, and fished along the Potomac for thousands of years.  The invention of sustainable agricultural practices, the introduction of new crops, and huge commercial fishing and shipbuilding industries were a result of the Potomac's resources, the driving force of the colonial period's rapid economic development. 

To this day, we rely on the abundant natural resources of the Potomac River.  It provides clean drinking water to 430,000 residents in the nation's capital alone.  The Potomac's 15,000-square-mile watershed also provides an impressive array of valuable natural resources in terms of its wildlife habitat, economic productivity, recreational accessibility, and historical and cultural significance.  Indeed, the lower Potomac is recognized internationally for its importance to the survival of several species of fish and birds.  More than two hundred species of birds, including the American bald eagle, use the lower Potomac as a breeding ground.  Due to the rare blend of fresh and saltwater environments, the Potomac River also acts as a critical habitat for 70 species of fish.

Photo by: Bill Portlock

Community residents and tourists alike enjoy the Potomac's outdoor recreation opportunities such as boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, and camping.  Millions of people annually visit historic sites along the river that offer authentic testimony to America's founding.  From George Washington's birthplace and Fort Frederick to key Civil War battlegrounds and the monuments that decorate Washington, D.C., the lower Potomac watershed is the cradle of American history.

The Potomac has not always been treated in a manner befitting its national significance.  Neglect and ignorance, alongside industrial development allowed it to become horribly polluted by sediment, sewage, and industrial waste. Over the last forty years, the serious condition of the river was recognized and focused action on the part of federal agencies, state governments, hundreds of nonprofit organizations, and countless concerned citizens worked to reverse the tremendous damage inflicted on this crucial resource.

Crow's Nest, VA Photo by: Dwight Hiscano

Despite the river's remarkable turnaround, the continuing health of the Potomac is precarious.  Appropriate and balanced land use is a critical aspect of any effort to protect the long-term health of the lower Potomac.  Land conservation and "smart growth" planning can guide construction away from vulnerable ecosystems and redirect it toward more suitable locations.  By establishing permanent public parks, preserves, and refuges that can buffer fragile landscapes from those areas where growth is necessary, we can preserve critical natural resources and recreational opportunities that support a high quality of life.

Some of TPL's Potomac projects include:

Piscataway National Park, MD Photo by: Ken Sherman

Piscataway Park:

The addition of 57 acres, on behalf of the National Park Service, is the second of two key Piscataway National Park acquisitions made by the Trust for Public Land.  Acquisition of this riverfront property provides additional protection to the watershed of the Potomac River and further secures the historic view from Mount Vernon, the landmark site of George Washington's estate.

Piscatway Park, a division of the National Park Service, was established in 1961 and serves as a national model to use easements to protect parklands from obtrusive urban expansion. Today, Piscataway Park covers approximately 5,000 acres, and stretches for six miles from Piscataway Creek to Marshall Hall on the Potomac River. Scenic easements guarding existing tree cover protect 2,800 acres of Piscataway Park.

A place of great natural beauty, Piscataway Park is home to bald eagles, beavers, deer, fox, osprey and many other species. To allow visitors to experience the impressive surroundings, the park offers a public fishing pier, two boardwalks, and a variety of unique nature trails that wind through the meadows and woodland areas of the park. This park also houses the National Colonial Farm, an outdoor living history museum established by the Accokeek Foundation to educate people about life on a middle-class tobacco farm of 1775. Over 200,000 tourists and residents alike visit Piscataway Park to participate in the vast array of recreational opportunities available including bird watching, fishing, hiking, boating and picnicking.

Cedar Grove Farm Photo by: Bill Portlock

Cedar Grove Farm:

The flourishing 1,400-acre property in King George County, Virginia referred to as Cedar Grove Farm is a perfect example of a victorious preservation project along the Potomac.  For the first time, this transaction combines a conservation easement and designation as a Natural Area Preserve to protect a vast array of natural, historic, and rural resources while keeping the property in family ownership.  Two miles of undeveloped Potomac shoreline make up the parcel's northern border.  The protection of this biologically diverse and critically situated land helps safeguard the region's wildlife, protect water quality, and provide opportunities for environmental research and education. The acquisition of this land complements the community's commitment to the protection of the Potomac River - a national treasure whose watershed is home to nearly five million people, as well as the region-wide effort to conserve land along the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.

Photo by: Mt. Vernon Ladies Association

Chicamuxen Creek:

The 381-acre property along Chicamuxen Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River, was identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Natural Areas as one of the best examples of fresh tidal and non-tidal wetlands complexes in Maryland. Recognizing the land's significance, TPL, as part of a broader effort to protect natural areas along the Potomac River, acquired the property for a state wildlife management area.  These wetlands, along with the adjacent uplands, support fish, beaver, colonial waterbirds, songbirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl, including several threatened and endangered species.  Partners for this project included the Maryland Greenways Commission and the Potomac River Greenway Coalition.

Additional Information:

Protection on the Historic Potomac River
Treasures of the Tidewater Potomac Report

Updated 6/2003