|
The Upper Potomac River Basin |
|
|
In the Upper Potomac watershed, forest and wetlands is the primary land use, and agriculture the second largest land use. While forests and wetlands are also a major land use, they release few nutrients to rivers and the Bay leaving agriculture as the leading source of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment. Baywide, approximately 33% of nitrogen loads come from atmospheric sources, however, that varies from basin to basin and is included in land lased loads. Point sources are the second largest contributor of phosphorus, and a relatively small portion of the nitrogen in the Upper Potomac, but are increasing as the population in the watershed continues to grow. Population in the Upper Potomac watershed has grown by 51 % since 1970, and is projected to grow by 82% by 2020. Download the complete Basin Overview to learn more about the Upper Potomac River Basin. See the latest Upper Potomac River water quality data (charts for water temperature, salinity, water clarity and dissolved oxygen), or see water quality for other Bay tributaries. For water quality status and long-term trends, see our status and trends maps. Also, please check out the Basin Summary for the Upper Potomac Tributary Basin. |
|
| Search Maryland DNR Restoration and Protection
| Bay Grasses | Harmful
Algae | Bay Monitoring Return to the Maryland
DNR Home Page |
|
The Upper Potomac, along with all tributary basins in the Chesapeake, contribute to and are impacted by nutrient pollution. Nutrient pollution can be divided into two major categories – point sources (pollution that comes from a single, definable location, such as a wastewater treatment plant or industrial discharge) and nonpoint sources (pollution that cannot be attributed to a clearly identifiable, specific physical location, such as runoff from land and atmospheric deposition). Runoff from different land uses, point sources, and atmospheric deposition are the major sources of nutrients within the Bay watershed.