There, authorities maintain a channel at a depth of 24 feet for 108 miles to ensure that ships can easily travel downstream . Fortunately, the Potomac River has seen an increase in migratory American shad over the last few years thanks to the initiation of a commercial harvest ban in the 1980s; however, current population projections predict that the populations of American shad in the river may begin to decline once again. Among Euhirudinea, the true leeches, the smallest is about 1 cm (1 2 in) long, and the largest is the giant Amazonian leech, Haementeria ghilianii, which can reach 30 cm (12 in).Except for Antarctica, leeches are found throughout the world but are at their most . They do not have a dark blotch on the base of their dorsal fin or any spots on the body, unlike channel catfish. Here are a few help, Trick or treat with 6 creepy critters from the Potomac River, Flying south for the winter? This 108-mile (174-km) stretch encompasses the Potomac from a short distance below the Washington, DC - Montgomery County line, just downstream of the Little Falls of the Potomac River, to the Chesapeake Bay. White catfishs eight barbels are white in color, and they help them navigate through murky waters to find food such as fishes, insects, crustaceans, and plants. At night, pumpkinseeds will rest near the bottom of the river or in vegetation, so they will not be spotted by predators. Since leeches hide at the bottom in the layers of decomposing vegetation until theyre enticed out by the scent of prey, Lake Colby has too much traffic to be a hangout for leeches. Unlike earthworms, leeches dont drown. They also have 7 8 spines on their dorsal fins, which distinguishes them from white crappies, who have 5 6 spines. [Maybe best to start on the wine before starting to cook. In its first state constitution adopted in 1776, Virginia ceded its claim to the entire river but reserved free use of it, an act disputed by Maryland. Without apex predators, prey species populations would explode and decimate the plant and animal life beneath them on the food chain. TRICK: Walking through the woods on a summer day requires extra focus to make sure you do not accidentally crush a Death Adder underfoot. An informal experiment involving this reporters bare feet, offered as bait, yielded no proof of leeches at Jones Pond. This fish also has a unique way of spawning, where females lay eggs in long, gelatinous ribbons that hang onto vegetation and other structures. The northern snakehead, an invasive species resembling the native bowfin, lamprey, and American eel, was first seen in 2004. Bull sharks are unique in that, though they live mostly in saltwater, they can tolerate freshwater. Among the denizens of the Potomac's banks, beavers and otters met a similar fate, while small populations of American mink and American martens survived into the 20th century in some secluded areas. Along the way the following tributaries drain into the Potomac: Pimmit Run, Gulf Branch, Donaldson Run, Windy Run, Spout Run, Maddox Branch, Foundry Branch, Rock Creek, Rocky Run, Tiber Creek, Roaches Run, Washington Channel, Anacostia River, Four Mile Run, Oxon Creek, Hunting Creek, Broad Creek, Henson Creek, Swan Creek, Piscataway Creek, Little Hunting Creek, Dogue Creek, Accotink Creek, Pohick Creek, Pomonkey Creek, Occoquan River, Neabsco Creek, Powell's Creek, Mattawoman Creek, Chicamuxen Creek, Quantico Creek, Little Creek, Chopawamsic Creek, Tank Creek, Aquia Creek, Potomac Creek, Nanjemoy Creek, Chotank Creek, Port Tobacco River, Popes Creek, Gambo Creek, Clifton Creek, Piccowaxen Creek, Upper Machodoc Creek, Wicomico River, Cobb Island, Monroe Creek, Mattox Creek, Popes Creek, Breton Bay, Leonardtown, St. Marys River, Yeocomico River, Coan River, and Hull Creek. Due to overfishing and pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, sturgeons are endangered, meaning less of them are swimming upstream to the Potomac River to spawn. Reduce heat and mount the sauce with 1/2 stick butter. These fish grow to be about 5 - 8 inches long and weigh around 8 - 12 ounces. Add hot peppers or sauce to taste. As their name suggests, bull sharks are big and quite aggressive. Advertising Notice (While leeches are hermaphrodites, they mate with other leeches, and accessory pores secrete mucus that allows the mating leeches to stick together.) Boundary between Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia at Harpers Ferry, Satellite view of the Potomac River passing through two water gaps downstream of Harpers Ferry. Those that are parasitic latch onto a variety of vertebrates: amphibians, reptiles [turtles], birds and mammals., for a week, with her kids, and they were in the water all the time. They make good bait.. [34], On November 13, 2007, the Potomac Conservancy, an environmental group, issued the river a grade of "D-plus", citing high levels of pollution and the reports of "intersex" fish. When food is abundant, adults will feed on the bottom of the river with their subterminal mouth, and they will search for items such as benthic macroinvertebrates as well as smaller fishes. To Phillips, the lesson learned is that there is unrecognized diversity close to home.. Again standard bass tackle is recommended. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The river's two branches converge just east of Green Spring in Hampshire County, West Virginia, to form the Potomac. North of the confluence of the South Branch with Smith Creek, the river flows along Town Mountain (2,848ft) around Franklin at the junction of U.S. Route 220 and U.S. Route 33. When detailed studies were issued by the Corps in the 1950s, they met sustained opposition, led by U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, resulting in the plans' abandonment. Fortunately, concerned citizens and environmentalists wanted to change the poor conditions of many rivers including the Potomac River, so the Clean Water Act of 1972 was put into place, which initiated the start of cleaning up our rivers. If one happens to land on you by mistake, dont worry. The river then travels on a northeastern course along the western side of Jack Mountain (4,045ft), followed by Sandy Ridge (2,297ft) along U.S. Route 220. This section covers the Potomac from just above Harpers Ferry in West Virginia down to Little Falls, Maryland on the border between Maryland and Washington, DC. This species is one of the larger catfish species in America, and the largest individual caught in the upper Potomac River weighed 27.92 pounds! This detail from that map shows his rendition of the river that the local tribes had told him was called the "Patawomeck". 2023 Smithsonian Magazine The exact location of the South Branch's source is northwest of Hightown along U.S. Route 250 on the eastern side of Lantz Mountain (3,934ft) in Highland County. Bison, elk, wolves (both gray and red) and cougars were still present at that time, but had been hunted to extirpation by the middle of the 19th century. To start, George Washington was born and resided in Mount Vernon, Virginia, which overlooked the Potomac River and made the former president grow an appreciation for the body of water. On average, they weigh only one-quarter of an ounce, or the weight of three pennies! The estuary also widens, reaching 11 statute miles (17km) wide at its mouth, between Point Lookout, Maryland, and Smith Point, Virginia, before flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. In the summer of 2015, when Smithsonian research zoologist Anna Phillips and other scientists were standing in slow-moving swamp water, letting leeches latch onto their bare legs or gathering. [21][22], An average of approximately 486million US gallons (1,840,000m3) of water is withdrawn daily from the Potomac in the Washington area for water supply, providing about 78 percent of the region's total water usage, this amount includes approximately 80 percent of the drinking water consumed by the region's estimated 6.1 million residents.[5][23]. But in a just-published paper in the Journal of Parasitology, Phillips and her colleagues from the Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico and the Royal Ontario Museum report that a previously unknown leech species, Macrobdella mimicus, is the first to be discovered on the continent in more than 40 years. TREAT: But wait! It has somewhat fearsome features, sharp teeth and a pointy tip at the end of its tail. Union soldiers manning the Lower Battery at the north end of Chain Bridge in 1862. Bait the trap with 1/4 cup of raw meat, submerge it in your pond, and weigh it down with a rock to keep it in place and discourage snapping turtles. Below are the most common fish species found in the Potomac River today. Okay, this is more of an acrobatic trick, but these eight-legged friends jump to capture their prey. [7] Along the way the following tributaries drain into the Potomac: North Branch Potomac River, South Branch Potomac River, Town Creek, Little Cacapon River, Sideling Hill Creek, Cacapon River, Sir Johns Run, Warm Spring Run, Tonoloway Creek, Fifteenmile Creek, Sleepy Creek, Cherry Run, Back Creek, Conococheague Creek, and Opequon Creek. TREAT: The bull shark is an apex predator - an animal at the top of its food chain with no natural predators - which means it helps keep our ecosystem in balance. Empty the trap a couple times a week until you get fewer leeches, or none. Privacy Statement This page was last edited on 29 November 2022, at 20:25. In the 1960s, with dense green algal blooms covering the river's surface, President Lyndon Johnson declared the river "a national disgrace" and set in motion a long-term effort to reduce pollution from sewage and restore the beauty and ecology of this historic river. Adjust salt carefully, because the leeches get as snotty as the okra if over-salted. So lets all thank the bull shark for keeping our waters biodiverse, wildlife diseases under control, and regulating our ecosystem! Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Contact | About, List of Common Potomac River Fish Species [Updated], Potomac River Pollution & Conservation Efforts, List of Fish Species in the Potomac River, 7) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), 10) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), 13) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), 14) Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), 9 Best Plants That Repel Slugs 2023 [Plants Slugs Hate], List of Prehistoric Fish Still Alive Today [Updated], List of Fish Species in Lake Mohave 2023 [Updated], List of North American Chub Species 2023 [ID + Pictures], List of Turtle Species in Virginia 2023 (ID + Pics), 10 Best Ferns for Hanging Baskets 2023 [Updated], List of Turtle Species in Utah 2023 (ID + Pics). Muskellunge, more commonly known as muskies, can be found in the lower Potomac River in areas where the water is very clear and slow-moving. The creature makes its home in a splinter of land extending from Northern Georgia to Long Island that falls neatly between the distributions of other known medicinal (human-feeding) leech species. Their populations in the Potomac River basin are also commercially and recreationally important. This species ranges from 12 18 inches in length and weighs around 1 4 pounds. Pumpkinseed sunfish can be found in the lower Potomac River in areas where the water is clear, warm, and has lots of vegetation to hide in. Not only are more people being drawn into the area, but the wildlife that was once dwindling in numbers are returning too, including several fish species. [32], By the end of the 20th century, notable success had been achieved, as massive algal blooms vanished and recreational fishing and boating rebounded. | These fish have jaws lined with long, sharp teeth, and the roof of their mouths are covered in smaller curved teeth. First, leeches in ponds should be expected, said Milewski. From Hightown, the South Branch is a small meandering stream that flows northeast along Blue Grass Valley Road through the communities of New Hampden and Blue Grass. Charlie Wilson offers one solution to a leech overpopulation: Leech and Okra Gumbo. White perch have silvery or green-gray deep bodies with white bellies, and the base of their fins tend to be reddish in color. Those that are parasitic latch onto a variety of vertebrates: amphibians, reptiles [turtles], birds and mammals.. Hirudin is injected by the leech upon puncturing its victim's skin with its sharp jaws, and it acts to prevent the blood from clotting, thus enabling a continuous flow of blood for the leech to suck on. The sandy beach, moving water and wave action at Lake Colby dont make for a good leech habitat. Muskies are the largest of the pike family, and they can reach about 30 40 inches long and 10 20 pounds on average, although they can reach up to 70 pounds in certain waters. Mother Natures ultimate magic trick! You have successfully joined our subscriber list. The Potomac River has two branches, the North Branch and South Branch, that eventually merge into one river. His recipe is printed here with permission. Smallmouths get their name from their mouth that extends just to the midpoint of their eye. These fish are very dependent on clean, healthy, oxygen-rich waters, so unfortunately, smallmouth bass populations have been at an all-time low in the Potomac River due to the continued pollution issues. Green sunfish can be found in the lower Potomac River where water is slower, but they are adaptable to many different water conditions. 1 2 All of the 700 or so known species of leech are carnivores ("liquid-a-vores," to coin a phrase), but few feed on mammal blood and even fewer on humans. Blue catfish generally range between 23 59 inches in length, and have an average weight of around 5 pounds; however, a record-breaking blue catfish was recently caught in the Mississippi River that weighed in at an astonishing 131 pounds! Since then, our team has received many inquiries asking when and where dolphins can be seen along the Potomac, or in other words inquiries about what we scientists call their spatiotemporal distribution. Like earthworms, they have a clitellum, which is a region of thickened skin that in leeches is only obvious during the reproductive period. Still, the aquatic habitat of the Potomac River and its tributaries remain vulnerable to eutrophication, heavy metals, pesticides and other toxic chemicals, over-fishing, alien species, and pathogens associated with fecal coliform bacteria and shellfish diseases. Leeches can be found across a range of environmental conditions and some small ponds may simply and naturally be good leech habitat., An old Adirondack favorite, its better than eating boiled bark,, You Know What ? This species has a wider body compared to other sunfish, and these bodies are blue-green in color with black dots and white bellies. The Potomac Rivers ecologically rich habitat is home to over a thousand species of animals, and some of the coolest ones around are also the creepiest. Bull sharks are unique in that, though they live mostly in saltwater, they can tolerate freshwater. [50], Bog (=Muhlenberg) turtle Glyptemys (=Clemmys) muhlenbergii, Chinese softshell turtle * Pelodiscus sinensis *, Coastal plain cooter Pseudemys concinna floridana, Cumberland slider Trachemys scripta troostii, Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina carolina, Eastern chicken turtle Deirochelys reticularia reticularia, Eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum, Eastern musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus, Eastern painted turtle Chrysemys picta picta, Eastern river cooter Pseudemys concinna concinna, Eastern spiny softshell turtle Apalone spinifera spinifera, Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle * Apalone spinifera aspera *, Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata, Kemp's ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys kempii, Leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea, Mississippi map turtle* Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii *, Northern map turtle Graptemys geographica, Northern diamond-backed terrapin Malaclemys terrapin terrapin, Northern red-bellied cooter Pseudemys rubriventris, Red-eared slider * Trachemys scripta elegans *, Stripe-necked musk turtle Sternotherus minor peltifer, Yellow-bellied slider Trachemys scripta scripta, Sources:https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdfhttp://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/herpchecklist.pdf, Northern copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen, Northern watersnake Nerodia sipedon sipedon, Red-bellied watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster, Eastern smooth earthsnake Virginia valeriae valeriae, Mountain earthsnake Virginia valeriae pulchra, Northern brown snake Storeria dekayi dekayi, Northern Red-bellied Snake Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata, Eastern garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, Common ribbonsnake Thamnophis sauritus sauritus, Southern ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus punctatus, Northern ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus edwardsi, Eastern worm snake Carphophis amoenus amoenus, Northern rough greensnake Opheodrys aestivus aestivus, Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos, Rainbow snake Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma, Northern Black Racer Coluber constrictor constrictor, Eastern ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis, Mole kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata, Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula getula, Eastern kilksnake Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum, Coastal Plain Milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, Northern scarletsnake Cemophora coccinea copei, Sources:http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/herpchecklist.pdf Serve over brown rice with a hearty red wine. They are amazingly flexible, able to expand and contract to the point where it's difficult to measure them. Many leeches have attractive speckled or striped patterns. TREAT: These non-venomous snakes are not a threat at all to humans. [29] The only dam project that did get built was Jennings Randolph Lake on the North Branch. These sunfish average about 4 inches long and will weigh less than a pound. This species also has an elongated ear flap that lacks a dot, unlike pumpkinseeds. Hagemann, James A. Read more about us here. When leeches bite, they inject an anticoagulant called hirudin. The two branches then merge into the Potomac River just southeast of Cumberland, Maryland, and the river then flows on the border of Virginia and Maryland, past Washington D.C., and dumps into the Chesapeake Bay. If youre worried about the prospect of bold jumpers using your house like their personal trampoline, check for and block holes or major access points through which a spider could slide. TRICK: There are not too many creatures that can say they outlived the DINOSAURS, but sturgeons are one of them. [33] Enactment of the 1972 Clean Water Act led to construction or expansion of additional sewage treatment plants in the Potomac watershed. Pond Informer is growing community of pond & lake professionals, ecologists, and scientific writers, with a passion for all things ponds, wetlands, and sustainable conservation. Smithsonian researcher describes a previously unknown species of olive-green bloodsucker that has three jaws with up to 59 teeth, Former Associate Editor, Special Projects. Be aware that even small changes in water levels can dramatically increase the difficulty of the . This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, so the males tend to be larger and darker than the females. After Franklin, the South Branch continues north through the Monongahela National Forest to Upper Tract where it joins with three sizeable streams: Reeds Creek, Mill Run, and Deer Run. Recreate on the Potomac River safely, and do not underestimate its power! Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, captain john smith chesapeake national historic trail, star-spangled banner national historic trail, Crows Nest Natural Area Preserve in Stafford County, Virginia, George Washington Birthplace National Monument on Popes Creek. Around Saranac Lake, it seems while everyone knows someone whos had an encounter with a leech, the leeches are few and far between. At McNeill, the South Branch flows into the Trough where it is bound to its west by Mill Creek Mountain (2,119ft) and to its east by Sawmill Ridge (1,644ft). An old Adirondack favorite, its better than eating boiled bark, said Wilson. Yellow perch are one of the most common types of perch, and they are found throughout Potomac River watersheds in brackish waters and near reservoirs. [19] Are there sharks in the Potomac river? 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Again standard bass tackle is recommended such as mayflies in 2004 is slower, but they are flexible... A dot, unlike pumpkinseeds salt carefully, because the leeches get as as... Difficulty of the 1972 Clean water Act led to construction or expansion of additional sewage treatment plants in the River... A few help, trick or treat with 6 creepy critters from the Potomac basin. Overpopulation: leech and okra Gumbo starting to cook around 1 4.... Mount the sauce with 1/2 stick butter and south Branch, that merge! Boiled bark, said Milewski near the bottom of the 1972 Clean water led. Will rest near the bottom of the River or in vegetation, so they will not be spotted by.. The DINOSAURS, but these eight-legged friends jump to capture their prey & # ;... Their populations in the Potomac River where water is slower, but are... Treat: these non-venomous are there leeches in the potomac river are not too many creatures that can say they outlived the,... 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