The Potomac river is America’s Most Endangered River of 2026
Photo Credit: Roy Sewall
The Potomac River has just ranked #1 on America’s Most Endangered Rivers® LIST of 2026 from American Rivers – a stark warning that our Nation’s river is at a pivotal moment.
Together with American Rivers and joined by our friends at Nature Forward, Potomac Riverkeeper Network is leading this effort to protect the Potomac River through this Most Endangered Rivers designation.
Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN) and other river advocates have dedicated decades to the restoration and protection of our river – and we’ve made great progress. But now, rapid data center expansion and a record-breaking sewage spill earlier this year are putting new and unacceptable stress on a river that serves more than 6 million people every day.
Once dubbed “a national disgrace” by President Lyndon B. Johnson, our river has evolved into a vital resource our communities depend on – a source of drinking water, recreation, and livelihood. The Nation’s river should be a national model for rivers across the country – one that is swimmable, fishable, drinkable for all. The unchecked development of data centers throughout the Potomac River basin coupled with increased concerns of aging sewage infrastructure underscore the vulnerability of our river and our community’s drinking water.
READ PRKN PRESIDENT’S STATEMENTUnchecked Data Center Growth ThreatenS RIVER Health
Data centers are here to stay. About 70% of global internet traffic goes through Loudoun County – that’s why it’s known as “Data Center Alley”. We need them as we grow, but our rush to take advantage of economic and technological opportunities must not come at an unbearable environmental cost.
For example, the proposed Prince William Digital Gateway would be nested 1,800 acres within a previously declared conservation area set up by the County – specifically for the protection of Occoquan headwaters. If built, this hyper-scale data center could threaten the source of drinking water for Fort Belvoir, the City of Alexandria and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties – equating to roughly one million people.
What are the risks associated with data centers? For a comprehensive overview, read this illustrative white-paper by Kevin Coyle, a PRKN Board Member.
Caption: A data center in Prince William County, Virginia. Photo Credit: Alan Lehman
Take Action!
Tell Congress to invest in water infrastructure and investigate the impacts of data centers now!
Join Potomac Riverkeeper Network in amplifying a voice for the Potomac River. Tell Congress to invest in water infrastructure and investigate the impacts of data centers now – because clean water can’t wait.
A historic sewage spill strikes the potomac
If water-hungry data centers weren’t bad enough, couple them with the largest sewage spill in U.S. history. When more than 243 million gallons of raw sewage spewed into the Potomac River, decades of efforts to restore the river’s health and image were tarnished in an instant. Preliminary results from our recent Community Survey show that 25% of people surveyed say they would not be comfortable recreating on the river after this event – another 37% are unsure.
Having occurred in the Nation’s capital was no coincidence – this catastrophe is a wake up call for the entire nation. The threat of aging sewage infrastructure and lack of funding is far too common across the country – and unless we want to continue putting our rivers, our environment, and our communities at constant risk, something must change. If this isn’t addressed, it will happen again.
The Potomac River is a 380-mile long river system serving more than 6 million people – and serving as their primary drinking water supply. There is no back up. So when the Potomac Interceptor pipeline collapsed just a few miles downstream of a major water intake, it was sheer luck protecting our communities from a drinking water crisis.
Clean water shouldn’t be gambled on. It is a right that must be prioritized and protected.
Visit our Potomac interceptor sewage spill data and updates page