Our 20th Anniversary

2020 is the 20th anniversary of the creation of Potomac Riverkeeper, and we are celebrating with a year-long series of events.

Our campaign theme is “Potomac Riverkeeper 20th Anniversary: Protect, Defend, Enjoy!” We hope to expand membership, raise awareness of Potomac Riverkeeper’s history of accomplishments and vision for the future, and increase support for Potomac Riverkeeper’s work to protect the public’s right to clean water through engagement, advocacy, and enforcement particularly in Potomac Riverkeeper’s geographic scope: from Harper’s Ferry to the mouth of the Potomac at the Chesapeake Bay.

Our Potomac-focused activities throughout the year will expand PRKN’s visibility and increase awareness of stewardship opportunities. We are launching a “Ports of Call Tour,” with planned stops along the Potomac in PRKN’s research vessel, the Sea Dog, a 42-foot Chesapeake deadrise retrofitted with a floating lab to support PRKN’s water quality monitoring efforts at ten sites along the river. The monitoring results are reported to Swim Guide, a website and app that tracks weather and water quality for approximately 7,000 beaches around the world. This water quality monitoring is done by trained volunteer community scientists.

The Ports of Call Tour will include a series of stops at key points along the river that will maximize the visibility to the general public of the Sea Dog and PRKN. We currently anticipate visiting the following ports in 2020:

• The Wharf, DC – during the Cherry Blossom Festival, April 4, 2020
• Mount Vernon – Friday, May 29, 2020
• Alexandria Waterfront Park – Saturday, October 10, 2020

At each port, we’ll interact with the public, generating awareness of PRKN’s water quality monitoring efforts and educate visitors on how to defend the river through community science, engagement, and advocacy. Everyone has a part to play in protecting the Potomac. We’ll share ways in which individuals can take action to prevent pollution in their day-to-day life and as well as act as advocates for the river in their own community.

From April through September, Potomac Riverkeeper will also be hosting weekly clean up events and paddle trips along his beloved river. We would love for you to join us for one or more of these events.

And throughout the campaign, we will enthusiastically share the story of the many successes achieved by Potomac Riverkeeper during its 20-year history, as well as giving a glimpse of what we hope to accomplish in the next 20. Hint: Our vision has the words “fishable, swimmable, and drinkable” in it!

Please join us out on the river this summer to enjoy the fruits of our 20 years of labor with your support. It is a beautiful river!