Jan. 19, 2026—a day that will live in infamy for CCA. What a shock to learn on the next day that one of the largest single sewage spills in U.S. history occurred right next to our treasured Potomac River, spilling approximately 250 million gallons of untreated sewage into the river. This catastrophe constitutes a major setback in the long-term efforts to make the Potomac safer for humans (paddlers, anglers, swimmers) and fish, birds, and other wildlife.
An article elsewhere in this Cruiser discusses the spill in more detail, and there are links to more information on our website's Potomac Interceptor Sewage Spill page. But I wanted to pass along some thoughts on how this has affected me, what we've been doing, and how we all can address this in the future. Together with my first reactions of disbelief, dismay, and disgust, I also experienced a sense of helplessness. But we came together and took actions to contribute to the response to this disaster.
Several of our members, including David Solana, Alf Cooley, Barb Brown, David (Cotton) Cottingham, and me (and probably others), visited the site to see it firsthand. Folks on our Conservation and River Access Committees prepared a letter—initially drafted by Cotton—that we sent to DC Water (with copies to other agencies) Jan. 29, advocating for actions to respond to the spill. We followed up with a letter sent Feb. 24 with more specific requests for testing water and sediment quality in areas used by paddlers downstream of the site. Grace Hassler took charge of preparing this letter, and she enlisted a number of other interested organizations to sign on. Many of our members attended public meetings with DC Water and communicated individually with various other agencies. Jill MacNeice, David Solana, Cotton, and I testified before an oversight hearing conducted by the DC Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment March 2, and the chairman of the committee, Charles Allen (Ward 4), pressed DC Water officials to address many of our concerns. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to these efforts (especially while I was traveling during much of February)!
Moving forward, we need to continue working cooperatively with other organizations to monitor efforts by DC Water, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and others to respond to the spill. And we will continue to advocate for expanded testing of water and sediment quality, restoration of the river, and reduction of the risks of future spills. Various CCA members and I, in cooperation with representatives of Sycamore Island, Minnie's Island, the Potomac Conservancy, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN), and other organizations, will continue to work on this during the coming weeks.
Turning to our spring paddling trips, we will need to take the effects of the spill into account. First and foremost, I'm cautiously optimistic that we will be able to finish the 2026 Potomac Downriver Race at Sycamore Island, as has been our tradition for 70 years. We will be watching water quality test results during the period leading up to the race before making a final decision on race route and the finish location, but the race will go on with a different finish line if necessary.
While I think that it may be a while before the immediate area of the spill—including the Lock 10 takeout—has been rehabilitated, the test results in other portions of the river downstream of the spill have been somewhat encouraging, although there was a spike in the bacteria counts for several days after we had a significant amount of rain in mid-March. I'm optimistic that paddling in the Feeder Canal and from Brookmont Dam to Little Falls will be "safe" at many times during the spring and summer. But we will have to see what happens as the water and sediments warm up and rehabilitation efforts progress.
To keep this in perspective, I'll remind everyone of the sad fact that, even prior to the Jan. 19 spill, water quality tests at various portions of the Potomac often have exceeded the level considered "safe" for recreation of 410 MPN/100ml E. Coli. This occurs most often after major rainstorms, which can lead to combined sewer overflows and other sewage discharges over the course of a year that exceed the amount of the recent spill.
In the past, water samples have been collected each week during the warmer months by volunteers with PRKN (including by CCA members Jill MacNeice, Paul Englehart, and yours truly) at Seneca Creek/Riley's Lock, Old Angler's Inn, Little Falls, Fletchers Cove, Washington Canoe Club, Thompson's Boathouse, and many other locations farther downstream in the tidal area. Samples taken on Wednesday mornings lead to results posted by Friday, including showing up on the Swim Guide app (which you can find at theswimguide.org or download to your phone for free from the Apple or Google Play app stores). Now we can expect more frequent testing at more locations by various agencies in addition to PRKN, so we'll have access to more data. And you also can check for any health advisories issued by the relevant state or local authorities. Water quality data and health advisories relevant to the sewage spill can be found on the CCA website page mentioned above.
My suspicion is that many paddlers, although somewhat aware of the potential for higher contamination levels after rainfall events, have been more focused in prior years on gage levels than E. Coli counts. Now, I anticipate that paddlers will pay more attention to water quality data than they did before. Unfortunately, because testing requires time for bacteria to multiply, there will continue to be a delay between the time when samples are taken and the posting of results. So, depending on rainfall and other factors, the water may be cleaner—or dirtier—when we are planning to paddle a few days after the samples were taken than indicated by the test results. And when the test results are higher than the "safe" recreational level in areas below the spill, the contamination very well might be caused by rainfall-induced runoff from areas other than the spill site.
So what to do? I'd encourage everyone to keep an open mind and see how the restoration efforts proceed and water quality tests turn out. My advice is to pay attention to water quality data and public health advisories for any sites you are paddling (where available) and consider other factors, such as whether there was a major rainfall event before or after the samples were taken, which may indicate whether the water quality on the day you plan to paddle will be better or worse than indicated by the test results. Ultimately, it is up to each person to make their own judgments about whether and where to paddle, taking into account their own tolerance for risk and any conditions that might make them more vulnerable to pollutants. Some precautions to consider include avoiding situations where open wounds would be exposed to contaminated water (and being prepared to clean and bandage any cuts or scrapes you may experience during a trip), evaluating how much you are willing to expose yourself to the chance—or certainty, depending on your paddling style and ability—of rolling or swimming, deciding whether to wear nose clips or earplugs, and making sure you have clean water to drink and to rinse off with after getting off the river.
It may be hard to get past being discouraged about the spill, but I'm looking forward with optimism about the upcoming season for paddling, wherever it may take us. Our new trip coordinator co-chairs, Rolo Arrieta and Ryan Morrow, working with the coordinators for various types of trips, have some great offerings in store for us. Our Downriver Race is in good hands under the leadership of Risa Shimoda and the rest of the team. Lynn Miller, Tom Hackman, and others are planning various events, so stay tuned to the calendar. Tim Lapham, Gary Steinberg, and Mark Wray have some great new ideas for safety and paddling instruction. We had a good turnout for our rolling sessions, including some new members induced by our promotional instructional sessions. Our Competition Committee is working on encouraging participation in races, whether just for fun or with podium aspirations. And we have a team working on continuing our initiatives to bring new folks into the paddling community. Please consider opportunities to participate—and volunteer to assist—in these efforts.
Before I sign off, I have one more request: If you or someone you know has any knowledge and/or interest in insurance and liability issues, please let me know. I'd like to have some knowledgeable people take an independent look at this topic and provide a report to the board. Please volunteer yourselves or encourage others to do so.
On a personal note, I'm largely recovered from my shoulder surgery five months ago, so I'm excited to see many of you on the water!