Potomac River - Fletchers Cove

Fletchers Cove is run by the National Park Service and is located between Chain and Key Bridges, right off the C&O Canal.

**WARNING: SWIMMING IS PROHIBITED IN D.C. RIVERS AND STREAMS, REGARDLESS OF THE CURRENT STATUS**

A “green” rating is demonstrative of the E. coli levels at one point in time.

The Potomac River is designated as a Class A waterway, which means primary contact, however the DC Department of Health (DOH) bans swimming in the Potomac due to sewage overflows. The risk of high bacteria levels after a heavy rain storm is the only reason it is considered “unsafe” to swim in the river. The activation of the Clean Rivers Project in DC is expected to reduce system wide combined sewage overflow by 96%, getting us significantly closer to a swimmable river 365 days a year.

When there is a red "special status" update, there has been a combined sewage overflow (CSO) in the past 48 hours. This means it is extremely likely there are unsafe levels of bacteria in the river, and it is recommended to be extra cautious if you are close to the river or come in contact with the water.

WATER QUALITY

Met water quality standards less than 60% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on September 26th, 2018. Anacostia Riverkeeper, Inc. updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

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MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

Thank you to Patagonia's DC store for helping fund our bacterial work this year. Starting in September 2018, water samples will also be tested for pH and turbidity, in accordance with DC water quality testing requirements.

Testing for DOEE will occur monthly at 23 sites along the Anacostia River, Rock Creek, and Potomac River starting in September 2018, and weekly in Spring 2019. Anacostia monitoring with Gallaudet University occurs biweekly at 7 sites and weekly at 1 site (Washington Channel) along the Anacostia River: Bladensburg Waterfront Park, between the North end of Kingman Island/Langston Golf Course and Kenilworth Park very near the National Arboretum, the South end of Kingman Island near RFK Stadium just North of CSX Bridge, at the Yards Park Marina Education Dock, the Washington Channel at the Capital Yacht Club, between the CSX Bridge and John Phillips Sousa Bridge, between Nationals Park and Popular Point, and the Middle of Kingman Island.

The Anacostia River is a tidal freshwater river.

Water is tested for E. coli, a fecal coliform. E. coli is measured in terms of the Most Probable Number /100 ml water, and are indicators of fecal contamination by warm-blooded animals including birds and mammals. The bacteria that fall into this group are not themselves, typically infectious, but their presence is strongly correlated with the presence of other bacteria that can cause both gastrointestinal and skin infections. The high limit for water that is regularly used for swimming is 126 MPN/ 100 ml. In addition, the District and county agencies recommend not swimming in the water for 48 hours after a rain event of 0.5 inches or more, especially for those that are immunosuppressed and those with open wounds.

Water samples are taken every two weeks April-October 2018 and weekly April-September 2019 with results being posted the following day on our website, on SwimGuide, and results are distributed weekly to a mailing list of interested groups and individuals. Anacostia Riverkeeper reports results to the DC Department of Energy and Environment and Alliance for the Bay's Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative. Anyone may request to be added to our distribution email list. Samples recording less than 126 MPN E. coli /100ml are therefore considered "green", having met water quality standards. Samples over the standard are considered "red" due to their failure to meet criteria, and the increased risk of illness.

The Anacostia River, Potomac River, and Rock Creek are designated as Class A waterways, which means primary contact, however the DC Department of Health (DOH) bans swimming district wide due to sewage overflows. The risk of high bacteria levels after a heavy rain storm is the only reason it is considered “unsafe” to swim in the waterways. The activation of the Clean Rivers Project is expected to decrease system wide of combined sewer overflow volume by 96%, getting us significantly closer to a swimmable District 365 days a year.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH