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CUMBERLAND — The lower Potomac River dropped a full grade in 2010, from C to D, on its health report card, according to EcoCheck, a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
The analysts use levels of a certain chlorophyl, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, phytoplankton, grasses and bottom organisms to rate the river, according to a report in the newsletter of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.
The falling grade for the Potomac was influenced by the severe storms and high stream flows in the late winter and early spring, which added much turbidity to the river. During January and March 2010, there were particularly high flows, followed by very low flow conditions in late spring and early summer.
The health gains in the river since the 1970s are fragile and recovery can be sent into a tailspin by adverse weather conditions, EcoCheck reported.
Long-term health trends for the river, and subsequently the Chesapeake Bay, are improving because of pollution reduction and habitat improvement programs.
For details, see www.eco-check.org.
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Potomac River gets failing grade
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