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Monocacy Aqueduct Repairs Continue
The project to repair and reconstruct Monocacy Aqueduct, one of the largest structures on the C&O Canal, projected to be completed in August 2004, about six months behind schedule, according to the National Park Service. Snowstorms and high water caused the delays, according toDan Copenhaver, an engineer with the National Park Service.
The Monocacy Aqueduct carries the canal across Monocacy River near the boundary of Montgomery and Frederick counties.
Congress designated $4.5 million for the reconstruction of the aqueduct with an internal steel rod system. The original steel rods were external and damaged by floods in 1972. Construction began in the spring of 2002.
The 54-foot arches span 51 feet. Built between 1829 and 1833, it is the largest aqueduct in the country and among the oldest, Copenhaver said.
Glen Echo's Spanish Ballroom Reopens
The Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park in Montgomery County reopened Saturday, July 20, after more than a year of renovation. The building is the centerpiece of the once-bustling Glen Echo Amusement Park along the Potomac at Glen Echo, Maryland.
Built in 1911, the building was named the Crystal Ballroom in 1921 and renamed the Spanish Ballroom in 1933. The building eventually fell into disrepair.
The 92-year-old building has undergone major reconstruction in the last year and a half as part of a $19 million project to renew Glen Echo Park.
Anacostia River Plans
In the heart of the nation's capital, running from Bladensburg, Md., to Washington, D.C., is a river that is a poster child for America's tragically neglected, abused urban waterways. Although the eight-mile-long Anacostia River is surrounded by parkland, it is severely polluted by sediment, nutrients, pathogens, toxins and trash. Because the Anacostia is relatively flat and extremely tidal, it moves -- and flushes itself -- slowly, making it especially vulnerable to contamination. It's unsafe to swim in the Anacostia, or to eat its fish. Yet its troubles, though extreme, are hardly unique: Similar problems plague many of our country's urban and suburban rivers.
It is a national embarrassment that the Anacostia -- often called "the Forgotten River" -- flows in the shadow of the Capitol building. Once a river that sustained abundant populations of fish, birds and other wildlife, the Anacostia is now impoverished and underused, flowing through some of Washington's poorest communities. But an effort to restore the Anacostia is getting underway. And if the District of Columbia, other local communities, the federal government, and businesses and individuals within the Anacostia watershed can work together to bring this river back, it can once again be an important asset to the community -- and a shining example the rest of the nation sorely needs.
The Natural Resources Defense Council has relased an interesting report on the Anacostia River and plans for its future. Click here to read the complete report.
Wilson Bridge Costs are a Problem
Maryland officials are worried about the escalating price tag for a new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, saying the cash-strapped state can't afford to accept a lone construction bid that came in $372 million over budget. Lawmakers predicted that without more federal money, the project may be threatened.
With a single $860 million bid in hand for building new twin spans, Maryland highway officials say they face at least five months of construction delays as the state decides how to deal with the cost overrun problem.
Maryland and Virginia officials have assumed that the total cost of the project would be $2.4 billion, to be shared by the federal government and the states. When Congress allotted an additional $600 million last fall, bringing the total federal commitment to $1.5 billion, federal lawmakers told the two states that was it.
Franchot said he and other state lawmakers hadn't realized that Maryland, with no help from Virginia, would have to pay for any extra costs on building the new spans. The two states agreed to pay for cost overruns on their own contracts, and Maryland is responsible for building the part of the project that actually spans the Potomac.
Federal Government Gets Charles County Land
The Bureau of Land Management has completed aquisition of a portion of the Douglas Point tract in Charles County, Maryland, for recreation and other purposes. Congress appropriated a total of $3 million derived from Land and Water Conservation Funds for the acquisition of lands by the BLM for the Douglas Point project. It is envisioned the land would eventually be used for low impact recreation, sightseeing and nature tourism. Other possible uses and permanently-excluded uses will be considered.
Last fall, Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening announced the spending of $6.3 million from the GreenPrint Program to purchase 1,271 acres of land in Charles County to preserve a major portion of the Douglas Point property.
The tract, which includes 1.8 miles of Potomac River shoreline, 90 acres of wetlands, and high-quality, mature forest will be purchased from the Potomac Electric Power Company and will be permanently preserved.
Monocacy Aqueduct Slated for Repair
The Monocacy Aqueduct, the most outstanding single structure on the C&O Canal, has fianlly received enough federal fuding to begin serious restoration efforts. Last fall, Congress approved $6.4 million as part of the Interior appropriations to fund the repair.
Supporters of the effort to restore the Aqueduct have waged a campaign for more than five years to raise the money for the project. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Asociatoin itself raised more tna $160,000 for the effort, and coordinated a lobbying effort that included local, state, and federal agencies.
A ceremony to inaugurate the project will be held this coming spring. Construction will continue for several years. The project will not only stabilize the structure for at least an estimated two centuries but will remove the steel harness that obscures the Aqueduct's beauty of line and proportion.
Wilson Bridge Included in Congressional Bill
The House-Senate Conference Committee on the U.S. Congresional appropriations for Transportation have agreed to include an additional $600 million in revenues to be made available for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement project across the Potomac from Alexandria, Va., to Washington, D.C. This is in addition to the $900 million in federal funding provided by earlier transportation bills. The agreement apparently clears the way for construction of the replacement bridge, now estimated to cost up to $2.5 billion. Work is expected to begin this fall on the project.
The Potomac in Montgomery County, Maryland, was the training ground for U.S. paddlers competing in the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. White water rapids near Brookmont and a training course near Dickerson provide Olympic-quality kayaking and canoeing training. Despite the exhaustive training, however. U.S. kayakers did not bring home a medal this year. David Hearn, 37, who lives near the Potomac in Brookmont, represented the U.S. in the one-man canoe event, but placed twelfth overall. The Dickerson training site is located at the warm-water discharge from the Potomac Electric Power Company generating station on the river.
Brunswick, Maryland, is celebrating "Railroad Days" on October 7 and 8. The annual celebration of this industrial Potomac River town always attracts a large number of participants. The events feature the role of the Potomac, the C&O Canal, and the railroad in the development of the town. For more information, contact the Brunswick Potomac Foundation, 40 W. Potomac St., Brunswick, MD 21716; telephone 301-834-7100.
The National Park Service is unveiling a new visitor center at the terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Cumberland. The center will be the highlight of celebrations for the Canal's 150th Anniversary. On October 10, 1850, the C&O Canal reached Cumberland and opened for business the entire 184.5 miles. The opening of our new visitor center will be the grand finale in the celebration of the park’s 150th anniversary. For more information, visit the C&O Canal home page.
Supreme Court to Consider Potomac Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to referee the legal battle over a Fairfax County plan to build a drinking water pipe in the Potomac near Seneca, Maryland. On May 30, the Court agreed to handle a complaint from the Commonwealth of Virginia that involved its rights to water supply from the Potomac, which is owned by the State of Maryland. Virginia invoked an interstate compact from the 1800s that, it claims, gives it rights to Potomac waters.
The Fairfax County Water Authority already draws millions of gallons of water a day from the Potomac through a pipe at the shoreline near the Loudoun County border, but officials want to build a new line into the middle of the river to avoid the increasingly muddy water along the banks. Maryland, which owns the entire river under a 1632 grant from Charles I of England, has refused to grant construction permits for four years, citing environmental concerns.
The pipe has become the hottest issue in a long-simmering dispute between the neighbors over how to balance economic growth and environmental protection. The two states have sparred and sniped over dealing with drought, building roads and conserving the Chesapeake Bay.
Mining Firm Plans Sand and Gravel Operation
Maryland Rock Industries has announced plans to purchase 1300 acres along the Potomac in Charles County, Maryland, from the Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO). The mining company wants to use about half of the land involved for a sand and gravel mining operation. Opponents of the plan include the Nanjemoy Enviornmental Educatoin Center, which syas that the operatoion will displace wildlife, disrupt a fossil reserve, and disturb spawning areas for fish.
The Charles County Board of Appeals has set a public hearing on the project for July 11.
Annual Red Cross Festival June 11 in Alexandria
The 18th Annual Alexandria Red Cross Waterfront Festival will be held June 11th, 12th and 13th, 1999. The festival is held in Old Town Alexandria's Oronoco Bay Park along the Old Town Potomac waterfront.
This festival is one of the largest and most popular events held in the National Capital area with 80,000 people in attendence. It is also the largest outdoor American Red Cross fundraising event in the nation. For details, visit the Festival website, http://www.digitalnation.com/alexredcross/waterfro.htm
Court challenges continue as developers put the finishing touches on plans for the National Harbor site along the Potomac in Prince George's County. A Nashville company that created the Opryland complex became the latest player when it announced in January that it would build a hotel and conference center at the site. Environmentalists and some residents on both sides of the river have expressed fears that the huge complex would bring more noise, pollution, and traffic than the region can bear.
"Capt. Billy" Robertson, a well-known Charles County restaurateur, died of cancer on Friday March 10. Owner of two popular crab houses on the banks of the Potomac near Pope's Creek, Capt. Billy greeted hundreds of diners who filled both Capt. Billy's and Robertsons, especially on warm summer weekends. A Baltimore native, Robertson opened his first restaurant in 1949.
The C & O Canal was recently named a state treasure by the Maryland 2000 Committee, a group that designates historic sites throughout the state. Canal supporters hope that the honor will attract more attention and money to efforts already under way to restore the Canal. Maryland 2000 offers grants to protect state treasures, and Douglas Faris, superintendant of the C & O National Historical Park, expressed the hope that money would be provided to help restore the Monocacy Aqueduct and other facilities along the historic shipping route.
The Naval Surface Warfare Center at Carderock, on the Potomac below Great Falls in Maryland, is undergoing a $14 million renovation and expansion. The Center is constructing three new buildings and adding to two others as the Navy consolidates its research, development, and fleet support operations. New employees are moving to the site from another facility near Annapolis. Some local residents have complained that they were not informed of the plans before construction began.
The Town of Leesburg, along with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, have purchased more than 140 acres of land that will become part of Ball's Bluff Regional Park. The town has been eyeing the land for years, but purchase plans were stepped up when a real estate developer submitted plans to build houses on part of the site. It may be more than a year before the new parkland is open to the public, but town officials and the park authority hope to include a boat launch, which will provide Leesburg with its first direct public access to the river.
And a recent study by the National Park Service has identified four possible sites for a new boathouse on the Potomac. Three of the four are in Arlington County, where rowers have long been working for better access to the river. Park Service officials have expressed concern about safety along the George Washington Parkway if a boathouse were to be built near Roosevelt Island. But this site is favored by rowers because the water upstream of Key Bridge is less subject to wind and waves.
Environmentalists and Federal officials are pledging to keep a close eye on a new permit that will allow the giant Westvaco paper mill to continue to dicharge effluent into the Upper Potomac River. Westvaco has recently agreed to pay $450,000 in fines imposed for violations of fecal coliform limits. But EPA and environmental groups want tighter controls on the plant's wastewater discharges. The North Branch has already been seriously harmed by effluent from the treatment plant that handles industrial wastewater and sewage from several nearby towns.
In a long awaited ceremony on the banks of the Potomac River, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt will join students, local, state and federal officials to mark the breaking of Little Falls Dam at 10:30 a.m. on October 12, at the Pumping Station off Clara Barton Parkway.
Sledgehammer in hand, Babbitt has been cris-crossing America - Wisconsin to North Carolina to Maine to the Pacific Northwest -- removing dozens of obsolete, unsafe and fish-blocking dams that no longer make sense. On Tuesday he takes that message home. Literally.
"For seven years I've watched hundreds of cities restore their communities by restoring their rivers," said Babbitt. "Now it's our turn. Since 1959, Little Falls dam has kept seven species of shad, herring, perch, and striped bass from spawning in our neighborhood. That ends today. And I've got my fishing rod ready to meet their return."
After several months of record low flows, the Potomac bounced back to normal in early September.
Streamflow has increased throughout the Maryland/Delaware/D.C. region, and ground-water levels at the end of September are mainly in the normal range for this time of year, according to hydrologists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Although heavy rains near the end of August had little effect on ground-water levels in Maryland and Delaware, the rain from Hurricane Floyd and the subsequent September rains have begun to reverse the downward trend in water levels in most USGS observation wells.
The September precipitation caused the total river inflow to the Chesapeake Bay to be about 30.6 bgd, which was about 149 percent of the long-term September average (20.5 bgd), and nearly 3 times the inflow into the Bay in August (19.9 bgd). Although the three main rivers entering the Bay (Susquehanna, Potomac, and James) rose under the influence of Hurricane Floyd, inflows were far below record levels because of the localized pattern of rainfall during the storm [see map at http://md.water.usgs.gov/floods/floyd/rain_noaa.gif]. However, several rivers on the Delmarva Peninsula, where most of the rain from Floyd fell, were near or broke flow records. Therefore, effects of increased nutrient and sediment loads and changes in salinity on Bay resources are probably most significant in the tidal reaches of Maryland’s Eastern Shore rivers.
In September, the average daily flow rate at the gage at the Potomac River at Little Falls was about 3.7 billion gallons per day (bgd), about 192 percent of the long-term average September flow rate (1.9 bgd). The lowest flow rate for the month was about 1.3 bgd on Sept.3, and the high was about 9.6 bgd on Sept. 10. The high did not result from rains from Hurricane Floyd, which were strongly localized.
Diversions of Potomac River water for municipal use averaged about 376 mgd in September, about 20 percent less than September of 1998, and about 6 percent less than September of 1997. Contents of the Baltimore reservoir system increased to 57,730 million gallons near the end of September, which was 79 percent of average, 73 percent of the amount available in September 1998, and 90 percent of the amount available in September 1997.
The flow of the Potomac, which has been low all spring, broke through the 1,000 cubic-feet-per-second barrier on Sunday, June 28, at the Little Falls Dam. The flow of the river is now at about 700 million gallons per day--perilously close to the all-time low flow of 366 million gallons per day in September 1966. The river also declined below 1000 cfs in the summer of 1997, when mandatory water restrictions were imposed on the region. In the 1980s, the Army Corps of Engineers built a reservoir in West Virginia (the Jennings Randolph Reservoir) that is designed to be used to augment water supply in the Washington are.
The river has be declining all spring due to drought conditions throughout the Potomac River Basin. Rainfall in mid-June was limited to the Washington Area, and did not help the upper river. Below is a graphic from the U.S. Geological Survey river gage at Little Falls that shows the decline this month. To check current conditions at Little Falls and other Potomac locations, use the Real-time River Level page available through our site.
Click here for June 15 USGS Press Release on low flows to Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River
From Monday, June 28, 1999 to Saturday, July 3, 1999, the Anacostia Watershed Society will be sponsoring its 4th full week paddling and camping adventure to the Bay. The journey will embark from the headwaters of the Anacostia River in Bladensburg, MD and will conclude at the mouth of the Potomac River at Point Lookout on the Chesapeake Bay. The trip will provide interested paddlers and nature lovers and history buffs alike with a unique opportunity to experience the natural wealth and incredible beauty possessed by both the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. This journey will also illustrate the urban Anacostia's connection to and influence on the Chesapeake Bay. If you would like to sign up or receive additional information, please call AWS at 301.699.6204 or email susan@anacostiaws.org
The Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. Shenandoah River State Park, named in honor of a Warren County, Virginia, state legislator, was officially opened by the Virginia lies 70 miles west of Washington, off Route 340. It is the newest of Virginia's 28 state parks, and has been long-awaited by many Northern Virginia outdoor enthusiasts. The park was the site of the Shenandoah RiverFest last weekend.
Click here to visit the Virginia State Park website for Shenandoah River State Park.
The park offers access to the Shenandoah and campsites. Canoeists and fishermen have long had to use private property for camping and fishing along the river. The new 1600-acre park has admission fees ranging from a $2-per-car weekday charge to an $8 charge for an overnight camping site.
There are two other state parks in Northern Virginia that give visitors an opportunity to visit the Potomac River -- Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County and Mason Neck in Fairfax County -- but neither offers overnight camping, except for large groups, and access to the river is geared toward power boats and sailboats that can handle big water.
The Washington Navy Yard kicked off its 200th Anniversary Celebration this week with a celebration and the arrival of three "tall ships" to the Anacostia River in Washington. The yard, the oldest continuously operating federal facility in the nation, is celebrating its bicentennial with a waterfront festival.
The Navy Yard is undergoing a $200 million expansion that will double its work force to more than 11,000 people.
The yard is home to the Navy Museum, one of the nation's premier collections of naval artifacts. The free museum is one of the area's best-kept secrets.
The site of the Navy Yard was chosen in 1799 by the Navy, in consultation with George Washington, as a place that would be safe from enemy coastal raids.
The bicentennial celebration, including the waterfront festival and an official commemoration in October, is meant to remind people that "we're here, and we're going to stay here another 200 years," according to a Navy Yard spokesman
After two days of unexpected rainfall, river levels in the Potomac near Washington are inching back up from the perilously low levels of earlier this month. But the river levels in upstream areas, such as Cumberland and Harpers Ferry, are still near historic lows. The U.S. Geological Survey will issue its monthly river-level report for the month of June in early July. The May report showed record low levels for the month in the Washington area. Water suppliers are not overly concerned at this time. The upstream Jennings Randolph Reservoir has not been tapped to aid in water supply for the Washington area. In 1966, the record low-flow year, there was no upstream reservoir backup for water supply.
The Clinton administration has endorsed a plan to add $600 million to help funding of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement, a plan that has gotten a positive reaction in both Maryland and Virginia.
The plan would increase the federal contribution to $1.5 billion, requiring the states to fund the shortfall, now estimated at $400 million to $500 million. That is less contribution from the states than in previous plans.
The Wilson Bridge project faces the prospect of a long delay because of a U.S. District Court ruling two months ago ordering a halt to construction until more environmental review is done. U.S. transportation officials are working to remove further impediments to replacing Washington's busiest Potomac River Crossing
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has not endorsed the new plan. The Committee had originally endorsed a planned $900 million contribution to construction of the bridge.
Click here for USGS Press Release on low flows to Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River
Two people were struck and killed last week by a Maryland commuter train traveling west along the Potomac River in Washington County, Maryland.
The accident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. in Sandy Hook as the train traveled from Washington, D.C., to Martinsburg, W.Va.
The victims' names were withheld pending notification of relatives. Witnesses said they saw the two men walking along the tracks carrying inner tubes. The tracks run along the Potomac River near the rapids below Harpers Ferry.
A variety of tall (and small) ships helped celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Alexandria, Virginia, at the annual Red Cross Waterfront Festival last weekend (June 12-13).
The festival, which benefits the Alexandria Red Cross, opened with ships sailing from Jones Point (Woodrow Wilson Bridge) to Hains Point and back. Star of the show was the replica HMS Bounty (built for the 1960 Marlon Brando movie) and the Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of the three-masted pinnace that brought the first boatload of Swedish immigrants to Delaware in the 1600s.
The sailing vessels were accompanied by the U.S. Coast Guard's patrol vessel USS Shamal, tended by the buoy tender USCG Kennebec and the District fire boat John Glenn, along with a riverful of private pleasure boats
Washington Post columnist Angus Phillips says the rockfish are biting big time this year at Fletchers Boat House in the District. Phillips says that the great fishing is due to a combination of factors (including the low flow from the recent drought). Anglers are limited to taking home one striped bass (rockfish) per day. Click here for the Angus Phillips column.
The National Park Service has announced a new plan to stabilize the C&O Canal's largest aqueduct with invisible, interior supports. The restoration will cost about $5.5 million--or about $23 million less than an earlier estimate.
"In 1972, it was our goal to keep it standing," said Doug Faris, superintendent of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. "That 'erector set' was an emergency stabilizer. Two years ago, we set out to analyze just what was needed and how much it would cost."
Walter Rissmeyer, a staff member of WETA radio 90.9 FM, completed his three week trip down the Potomac River with a visit to Point Lookout. Walter's "Potomac Adventure" was recorded extensively on WETA's Web site, http://www.weta.org/potomac. Potomac River Guide author Kevin Flynn accompanied Walter on one rainy May morning near Seneca. Rissmeyer traveled by bicycle, canoe, and boat all the way down the river.
In an early and promising example of regional cooperation, Mayor Anthony Williams, Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening and Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan have agreed to restore the Anacostia River and 176 square miles of surrounding land. Their commitment will be backed up with funds from each jurisdiction. Montgomery County has pledged $2.1 million for restoration work and storm-water control projects. The District is dedicating $5 million for cleanup work. And Maryland has agreed to restore aquatic habitat, open two miles of the tributary system, reforest one mile of stream bank and restore or create 41 acres of wetlands by next year. The agreement extends beyond the year 2000, however. This ambitious undertaking, which relies upon each side to deliver on its promises, expires in 2010.
The Potomac River Cleanup, held during the last week in March, attracted more than 3,000 volunteers throughout the river basin. Another cleanup is scheduled for Mid April along the C&O Canal.
WETA Radio 90.1 is planning a "Potomac Adventure" in late April and May. WETA's Walter Rissmeyer will be traveling down the river, sending in radio reports, and updating the WETA website. Walter and WETA have put together an impressive Potomac Adventure website that is using some material supplied by the Potomac River Guide. For an advance look at the site, select this link.
During the last week in April, Rissmeyer, will begin his trip down the full length of the Potomac. We invite you to follow the trip online and on WETA FM 90.9!
Walter will travel by bicycle from the river's source at the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia to Washington, DC. From Washington, he will continue on in a boat provided by the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, to the river’s mouth at Point Lookout. Each day will include approximately 15-25 miles of progress along the river, stops at historical sites, and observations of the river’s ecology. These experiences will be uploaded to the web site on a daily basis to allow you to follow the journey. Additional updates will be made on WETA FM 90.9 throughout the trip.
For the students following along WETA is also offering a series of contests to help you learn more about the river.
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