American Rivers, a United States conservation organisation working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife, has nominated the Potomac, the river that flows through Washington, DC as America’s most endangered river for 2026.
About Potomac River:
It is a river in the east central United States.
Course:
It rises in North and South branches in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia.
It flows through West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., before entering Chesapeake Bay, the largest U.S. estuary.
It is the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast and the 21st largest in the United States.
The Potomac’s tributaries include the Shenandoah, the Monocacy, and the Anacostia.
The river is navigable to Washington, D.C.,above which it descends from the Piedmontin a series of rapids and falls, including Great Falls, a cataract about 35 feet (11 metres) high.
The Potomac, noted for its beauty, is also rich in historical significance.
The Potomac River is situated in an area rich in American history, which has led to the river's nickname, "The Nation's River".
During the Civil War, the Potomac River divided the Union from the Confederacy. It also gave name to the Union's largest army, the Army of the Potomac.
In 1864, Washington, D.C. began using the Potomac River as its principal source of drinking water when the Washington Aqueduct was opened.
Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, is on its banks below Washington, D.C.
The river’s name derives from “Patawomeck,” as it was recorded by the colonist John Smith in 1608.
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