George Washington Memorial Parkway
Park units connect in a fragmented landscape
Debris and invasive plants float the Potomac and end up on Roosevelt Island.
Photo: Greg Goodman, http://photography.universalexports.net
Much more than a road, George Washington Memorial Parkway protects a system of valuable natural resource patches in the urban environment of Washington, DC. Preserving the ecosystem health, function, and connectivity of these wetlands 
, wildflower fields 
and mature forests 
is important for the general health of the Potomac River watershed. However, due to adjacent urban development 
and visitor use pressures 
, this linear park’s fragmented resources are heavily impacted by the rapid spread of invasive exotics 
, tree cutting 
, dumping 
, and the demand for new trails and parking lots.
, wildflower fields and mature forests is important for the general health of the Potomac River watershed. However, due to adjacent urban development and visitor use pressures , this linear park’s fragmented resources are heavily impacted by the rapid spread of invasive exotics , tree cutting , dumping , and the demand for new trails and parking lots.
Potomac Gorge is a unique natural heritage site
Great Falls, Potomac River.
Photo: Dan Sealy, NPS
Shared between George Washington Memorial Parkway and C&O Canal National Historical Park, the management of the Potomac Gorge protects a variety of rare, threatened, and endangered species 
or rare plant communities 
that are adapted to the unique, complex, rock topography 
and the constant flooding and scouring forces of the Potomac River. The Gorge has a complex system of wetlands including vernal pools and seeps where globally rare amphipods 
occur. The volume and quality of the groundwater 
that feeds these systems are affected by increased impervious 
surface run-off of nutrient 
and pollutant 
inputs.
or rare plant communities that are adapted to the unique, complex, rock topography and the constant flooding and scouring forces of the Potomac River. The Gorge has a complex system of wetlands including vernal pools and seeps where globally rare amphipods occur. The volume and quality of the groundwater that feeds these systems are affected by increased impervious surface run-off of nutrient and pollutant inputs.