Unfortunately this week, I was not able to attend the Fall Break trip which took the rest of Earth Lodge up to Harpers Ferry and into an exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. Thankfully, I grew up in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and got to experience places like Great Falls and the Potomac River in general for almost my whole life. From what I have gathered, both rivers on the surface look pretty similar. I would have to say the Potomac looks more jagged and rough than the James, which seems to have more smooth and gentle banks at least in the area around school, but the plant and animal life in both areas appears to be comparable. This makes sense- both rivers belong to the same geographic regions (Piedmont Plateau, Costal Plains, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau) and likely experience similar climate and therefore attract similar flora and fauna. Moving to Virginia, and therefore into a different watershed, never really felt like that much of a change of natural scenery.
The history of both rivers sheds light on a trend that is apparent for so many rivers all over the world: they acted as the cradles for civilization. Both the James and the Potomac allowed for the growth and expansion of cities, whether is was Richmond in Virginia, or Georgetown in Maryland. What is more amazing is that both of these river cities are still alive and well and continue to take advantage of the power of the river, for things such as energy, transport, and general water use (such as drinking). Furthermore, both rivers acted as scenes for major turning points in our political history. Richmond, on the James, was heavily impacted by the Civil War while the cities on the Potomac became places where figures such as George Mason began to spread messages that are echoed in our constitution.
I think the biggest thing to take away from the relationship between the Potomac and the James is that they are both part of a bigger system. Yes, they are very close to each other and the watershed of the Potomac extends into the states of the James River watershed. But they both belong to the Chesapeake Bay watershed which eventually flows out into the Atlantic Ocean. Taking care of both of these rivers and understanding both of their value and importance will be instrumental in taking care of our water and of our environment.
The above picture was from the summer of 2013 when my friends and I went hiking on the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls. It will definitely not be my last time there!