Progress on the Potomac

     A study was released Tuesday announcing the Potomac River is the cleanest it has been since the 1950s.  Though male fish are still growing eggs and mercury is on the surface of the river, it’s still a huge improvement from decades past.

     The Potomac River is one of D.C.’s famous natural sites.  Crew and sailing teams from D.C. area schools spend their early mornings on the water.  Boat tours take tourists past monuments and there are always families on boats in the summertime.  Joggers can be seen at all hours of the day running the concrete path along the river.

     Now, all of this sounds nice and looks beautiful on postcards, but I can tell you from experience, that water is gross.  I’ve been in the water twice after accidentally capsizing in a sailboat, (yes, we couldn’t keep it from going down twice) and it was not a pleasant experience.  It took hours for me to get rid of the smell.  I’m just happy I wasn’t there in the 1960s when “green goop” was common on the surface.

     Along with the pollution, 8-foot-long bull sharks have taken to swimming in the Potomac in the past few weeks.  I love sharks, they’re my favorite animals and I look forward to Discovery Channel’s Shark Week every August, but I’m not sure how I feel about them swimming so close to home.  With all of these happenings in the Potomac environment, the river seems more like the set of a sci-fi movie than a national site.

     The pollution in the river is slowly starting to clear up, thanks to steps taken by federal regulators.  And local fishermen enjoy catching and using the sharks as souvenirs.  The Potomac clean-up is exciting in more ways than one. 

     Maybe in later years the river can become more than just a waterway for boats to enjoy the monuments.  Maybe people will be able to swim in the river without fear of emerging a mutant or being featured on Top 5 Eaten Alive.  Maybe people could come to D.C. and go fishing for genetically normal fish.  Maybe the increased amount of sunlight that reaches the bottom of the river will allow for a more diverse and healthy wildlife.

    And maybe, one day, sailors won’t be afraid to accidentally capsize in the Potomac.