The River Gods

The River Gods
Glenn Eugster, National Park Service, National Capital Region
October 12, 2000

In Dublin there is a Custom's House which has been designed with keystones which represent the principal rivers of Ireland. The keystones, which decorate the ground floor arches, are the thirteen principal rivers of Ireland, with the Atlantic Ocean thrown in for good measure. These keystones have come to be known as "The River Gods".

In the Potomac River watershed there are a number of key private groups and government watershed-based organizations with representatives who speak for the river, its watershed, and the people and living resources who own, govern, use and enjoy it.

Traditionally within the Potomac basin, as in many other river valleys, place-based groups have organized around various resource values, recreational activities, or land use or management activity. In some ways Potomac River groups have claimed certain specific values of the watershed as the focus of their organizations efforts.

These Potomac groups are important to any discussion about the past, present or future of the watershed because of the perspective they have and the local interests they represent. In some way these groups are the keystones of leadership in the Potomac River watershed. Their goals and interests represent the principal values of the Potomac. These values, and the groups that support them, can be viewed as The River Gods.

The principal values, and The River God organizations, of the Potomac River watershed, from the perspective of the Partnerships Office of NCR include:

Land Conservation: Potomac Conservancy

Heritage Tourism: Potomac Heritage Partnership, DC Heritage Tourism Coalition

Heritage River: Friends of the Potomac, National Park Service

Recreation Fishing: American Sportfishing Association, Bass Masters

Hiking: Potomac National Scenic Heritage Trail Committee, Appalachian Trail Conference

Recreation & Open Space: National Capital Planning Commission, Trust for Public Lands, Washington Parks for People

Nature Protection: The Nature Conservancy

Water Quality & Quantity: Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin,

Potomac Basin Consortium

Public Lands: National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, etc.

Agriculture: Farm Bureau

Timber: Forest Service

Land Use Management: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

Living Resources: Chesapeake Bay Program, Ducks Unlimited, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Cultural Diversity/ Equity: International Network to Freedom Association, Muncaster Challenge

Education: Alice Ferguson Foundation

Stewardship: Canaan Valley Institute, Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, Institute for Conservation Leadership

Also, certain individuals have been assigned to work in, on and around the Potomac and its tributaries. These include: Anacostia River Keeper, Potomac River Keeper, Potomac American Heritage River Navigator. In addition there are a number of watershed-wide conservation efforts underway within the Potomac River valley. They include:

Potomac Heritage Tourism Initiative, Potomac Heritage Partnership
Potomac River Partnership, U.S. Forest Service
Potomac American Heritage River Initiative, Friends of the Potomac
Potomac Watershed Collaboration, The Wilderness Society and White Cloud Council
Potomac National Scenic Heritage Trail

References:

Healy, Elizabeth, The Wolfhound Guide to The River Gods, 1998, Wolfhound Press, Dublin Ireland