Time for spring cleaning… of our creeks and rivers
What do 35 pounds of golf balls, a 1955 Chevrolet, a washing machine, and a treadmill have in common? They’re all items that have been pulled out of the river during a Potomac River watershed cleanup.
This time of year is a great time to join (or plan!) a stream cleanup in your neighborhood or local creek. The weather is nice but vegetation hasn’t grown enough to block access to streams and other cleanup areas.
Removing trash from the stream not only makes it look better, it improves water quality. If you can’t get to your local waterways, picking up any trash will make a difference for water quality. Much of the trash we see along roads and sidewalks will eventually make its way into a stream.
Whether your cleanup is as simple as you, a friend, and a couple trash bags or a larger affair, ICPRB has all the tips and tricks you need to Organize a Stream Cleanup.
Here are just some of the many events across the Potomac watershed:
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March – April: Potomac Conservancy events (various locations)
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March 8: Anacostia Park Community Clean Up (2nd Saturday of every month)
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April 5: 37th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup & Open House (Accokeek, MD)
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April 13: ICPRB’s Stream Cleanup (Frederick, MD)
If you know of any other cleanup events in the area, please let us know! We’ll add them to the calendar of events on our website.
Rapid River Report
The flow at the USGS Point of Rocks gage is a little below 6,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Median for this time of year is 14,000 cfs.
The 7-day rain outlook calls for 0-0.25 inches of rain.
The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows the drought status across the Potomac watershed has remained fairly steady since last week.
ICPRB’s second quarter business meeting
The ICPRB Second Quarter Business Meeting is coming up on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. The meeting will be held virtually on Teams. Commissioners will discuss progress made on the Low Flow Allocation Agreement and hear from ICPRB scientists about consumptive water use by data centers. Find the draft agenda on our Business Meetings site on our webpage.
The public is invited to view the virtual meeting or provide public comment. Please contact us by Friday, March 14, for more information on how to attend.