The Thompson Boat Center, right off the Capitol Riverfront, provides direct access to the Potomac River. Parking is located near the intersection of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and Virginia Avenue. The boat center is open to the public and offers canoe and kayak rentals and other non-motorized watercraft.
**WARNING: SWIMMING IS PROHIBITED IN D.C. WATERS REGARDLESS OF THE CURRENT STATUS**
Despite its designation as a Class A Primary Contact waterway, the DC Department of Health (DOH) bans swimming in the Potomac River citing the risk of high bacteria levels after rainstorms as the only reason it is considered “unsafe” to swim. The activation of the Clean Rivers Project in DC is expected to reduce system wide combined sewage overflow by 96%, bringing the Potomac significantly closer to a swimmable river.
Water quality standards as well as the methods used to determine pass or fail status vary widely across jurisdictions and monitoring programs. We encourage users to explore the sample data in addition to checking the swim guide status. These data can be viewed through the Chesapeake Monitoring Collaborative Data Explorer, https://cmc.vims.edu/#/home
Keep your distance from other people.
Practicing social distancing is still essential. Only go to the beach if you are able to keep 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. Follow the instructions provided by your local health authorities. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter our efforts to curb the virus’s spread.
The Thompson Boat Center, right off the Capitol Riverfront, provides direct access to the Potomac River. Parking is located near the intersection of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and Virginia Avenue. The boat center is open to the public and offers canoe and kayak rentals and other non-motorized watercraft.
**WARNING: SWIMMING IS PROHIBITED IN D.C. WATERS REGARDLESS OF THE CURRENT STATUS**
Despite its designation as a Class A Primary Contact waterway, the DC Department of Health (DOH) bans swimming in the Potomac River citing the risk of high bacteria levels after rainstorms as the only reason it is considered “unsafe” to swim. The activation of the Clean Rivers Project in DC is expected to reduce system wide combined sewage overflow by 96%, bringing the Potomac significantly closer to a swimmable river.
Water quality standards as well as the methods used to determine pass or fail status vary widely across jurisdictions and monitoring programs. We encourage users to explore the sample data in addition to checking the swim guide status. These data can be viewed through the Chesapeake Monitoring Collaborative Data Explorer, https://cmc.vims.edu/#/home
Beach | Location | Water Quality | Water Quality | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington, District of Columbia | Washington, District of Columbia | Current Status | ||||
Washington, District of Columbia | Washington, District of Columbia | Current Status | ||||
Washington, District of Columbia | Washington, District of Columbia | Current Status | ||||
Washington, District of Columbia | Washington, District of Columbia | Current Status |
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