2022 Potomac River and Watershed Report Card

Abstract

The first-ever Potomac River and Watershed Report Card was released in tandem with the 2022 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card this year. Every year, the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed are graded on a variety of ecological, social, and economic indicators. For 2022, the COAST Card Project took a closer look at the Potomac Watershed, a sub-watershed of the Chesapeake, to help inform decision-making in more focused areas throughout the watershed. Like the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, the Potomac River and Watershed Report Card was graded on ecological, social, and environmental indicators. An Environmental Justice Index was included, though not incorporated into the overall watershed health score.

The Coastal Ocean Assessment for Sustainability and Transformation Card Project is an international collaboration funded by the Belmont Forum that aims to address socio-environmental challenges by combining socio-environmental report cards, system dynamics modeling, and social network analysis. With partners in Japan, Norway, India, and the Philippines, the project seeks to take a comprehensive look at each study site to drive stakeholder engagement and management decisions for sustainable futures in each location.

This year, the Potomac Watershed scored 55%, a C+. The score is based on the four Potomac regions encompassed by the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card and social, environmental, and ecological conditions vary across those regions.

The Potomac River scored a 37%, a D+, a decrease from the previous year. Despite decreasing scores in some indicators, other indicators showed improving trends.