The Reservoir Center for Water Solutions, along with Anacostia Riverkeeper, Anacostia Watershed Society and Potomac Riverkeeper Network, has launched a public dashboard delivering real-time water quality data for the Anacostia, Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.
The tool operates like a weather app for local waterways. It draws information from nine sensor sites and makes environmental data immediately accessible to paddlers, anglers, researchers and residents.
“This tool represents an important step forward in advancing transparency, accessibility, and long-term stewardship of our river systems,” said Nicole Horvath, program manager at the Reservoir Center. “By inviting feedback from users and stakeholders, we can continue to strengthen the platform’s value and ensure it delivers meaningful benefits for both communities and the ecosystems they depend on.”
The dashboard tracks key indicators tied to ecosystem and community health. These include pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, water temperature, chloride, chlorophyll, blue-green algae pigment, turbidity and fluorescent dissolved organic matter at select sites. E. coli data comes through the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative and is not real-time.
The recent sewage spill in the Potomac highlighted the need for reliable monitoring. “This new tool enables us to gather information and to distribute it more effectively than ever before so that river users and enthusiasts can know where and when contact with the water is safe for all who rely on it,” said Betsy Nicholas, president of Potomac Riverkeeper Network.
Anacostia Riverkeeper Trey Sherard noted progress on the Anacostia. “The Anacostia is as close to swimmable as it’s ever been,” he said. “This dashboard is allowing us to see other problems, respond to them quicker, and provide real-time access to information to people who sail, kayak, or fish on these waters.”
Anacostia Watershed Society President and CEO Christopher E. Williams said the data helps communities advocate for needed investments. “When communities can actually see the health of their rivers in real time, they are better equipped to advocate for the investments needed to protect them.”
The dashboard supports ongoing testing programs and provides a fuller picture of how human actions and watershed policies affect water quality. It advances the shared goal of achieving swimmable and fishable waterways in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
Southern Maryland residents who use the Potomac River for recreation, fishing or other activities can now check conditions before heading out. The tool offers practical information for communities along the river in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties and supports broader efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
