Ice and Sewage on the Potomac

Typically ice and poo are only things you need to worry about at the same time after 13 hours of ice fishing on Lake Winnibigoshish. However for rowers in Washington DC we now get to think about the dynamic duo. The frozen river is pretty self explanatory, and we get to discuss a double dose of poo both at TBC and upstream at the spill. 

Ice Ice Baby

Use of the Potomac and Occoquan Rivers are both currently blocked by frozen conditions. Insiders report 6.5 inches of solid ice at the docks at the Oxford Boathouse in Lake Ridge VA. Shady conditions in the cove are likely to keep the ice there for the foreseeable future. 

The Potomac River meanwhile is seeing some signs of thawing. Open and flowing water is visible by the 14th Street Bridge. Visible thinning ice is starting to become visible by Thompsons Boat Center and Potomac Boat Club. Both facilities still have their docks pulled from the water under conditions allow reinstallation. The river will likely thaw out relatively quickly with a combination of these higher temps, brackish water, tides/flow, and direct sunlight on the surface.

Potomac River from TBC

Sewage #1 (Plumbing at TBC)

After more than a full year, plumbing is expected to be fully restored at Thompsons Boat Center. Management at GSI indicated that the repairs are almost completed and they are just waiting on a few more parts to be delivered to finish the project. 

The plumbing is expected to be fully operational by the time the facility opens on March 1. This is bad news for people who loved the porta-potties, good news for people who are excited to have the locker room back, and great news for people who love the ground floor restroom sauna in the winter. 

TBC Water/Sewer construction progress

Sewage #2 (Potomac Interceptor Collapse)

The Potomac River is facing a severe ecological crisis following the January 19, 2026, collapse of the Potomac Interceptor pipeline. Approximately 300 million gallons of raw sewage have flooded the waterway, leading to "stratospheric" bacteria levels.

At Fletchers Cove, independent testing initially recorded E. coli levels 60 times higher than the safe limit. While DC Water reported some downstream improvements, recent data from February 8 showed levels at Fletchers Boathouse still reaching 260 MPN/100 mL. Near Georgetown at Wisconsin Avenue, readings have fluctuated, dropping from a peak of 18,600 MPN/100 mL on January 29 to 43 MPN/100 mL by February 8.

These figures remain a stark contrast to the EPA recommendation for swimming, which sets the safety threshold at 410 MPN/100 mL. 

Everyone is hoping that the number continue to drop now that DC Water has the overflow largely contained to the C&O Canal upstream in order to divert around the broken pipe. This situation will be watched very closely over the next 2.5 weeks until docks are reinstalled on the Potomac.

If you're wondering how YOU can help... if you live in Maryland for the love of god stop flushing wipes down the toilet. 

W-L Crew Triathlon

Grit and Determination: The 2026 W-L Crew Triathlon

The spirit of Washington-Liberty rowing was on full display this past weekend at the 2026 W-L Crew Triathlon.  From the first erg pull to the final stride, the event was run exactly as Charlie Butt would have wanted.

The W-L Tri is a unique event with a 4000m run, 2 mile run, and 2 minute bench row. Total score is the erg time doubled plus run time minus 3 seconds for each bench row. 

The day was not without its challenges. Mother Nature brought some biting cold winds that made the outdoor portion of the event a bit too treacherous for a standard run. However, the organizers didn't miss a beat, quickly moving the run indoors to ensure the safety of the participants without sacrificing the intensity of the competition.

While other programs might have folded under the pressure of the elements, W-L proved its resilience. In a definitive show of "Arlington Tough," the team prevailed over Alexandria City High School by refusing to cancel an indoor event simply because of some cold outside. It was a reminder that while you can't control the weather, you can certainly control how you react to it.

The competition was fierce across all categories, with athletes pushing themselves to new personal bests. You can view the full breakdown of the times and standings on the official results page.

Congratulations to all the participants, and a huge thank you to the boosters and volunteers who made the day possible. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the water soon! 

Boys Overall Winner: Austin Cooper (W-L)

Girls Overall Winner: Sara Glade (ACHS)

Boys Novice Winner: Teddy Totten (Yorktown)

Girls Novice Winner: Friederike Leutche (ACHS)

FULL OFFICIAL RESULTS: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pO1H2mz8YaqpOgkweMC9dkkZy63dSrebfnesx9If9zE/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Prince William Erg Sprints

Today Prince William Crew Association accomplished something that Alexandria City High School could not: running an indoor rowing event while it's cold out. 

Prince William Erg Spints was electric this weekend with multiple event records being set. The event featured a fast-paced slate of short-distance races that kept the energy high from start to finish. Hosted at the outstanding venue of Colgan High School, the atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm and a genuine love for the sport of rowing. The turnout, the competitiveness, and the spirit on display made one thing clear: Prince William County is an untapped well of potential. With continued investment and momentum, this community has everything it takes to make real splashes on the national stage.

On the boy's side, the Colgan had an absolutely dominant performance over their local rivals. The Sharks took up 9 places out of the top 10 ergs throughout the day. Performance on the girls side was much more spread-out amongst teams but was heavily concentrated in U17 and Freshman athletes. This says great things about the trajectory of these teams. 

Two questions remain: Will they consider lengthening pieces out to 2000 meters, and will they allow others in our community to come throw down as well? 

Results Summary: 

FULL RESULTS: PWRC - 2026 Results

GIRLS TOP 10
Place	Name (School, Age)	Time	Split
1	Eleanor Fowkes (Colgan, U17)	05:35.6	01:51.8
2	Meera Benedict (Potomac)	05:47.1	01:55.7
3	Ahna Boyce (Hylton, U17)	05:51.7	01:57.2
4	Lillian Smith (Forest Park, U17)	05:54.7	01:58.2
5	Vayda Rich (Woodbridge)	05:57.9	01:59.3
6	Katie Papadopolis (Colgan, Ltwt)	06:01.5	02:00.5
7	Aster Verneman (Forest Park)	06:08.7	02:02.9
8	A Edenberg (Gainvilles, Frosh)	06:08.8	02:02.2
9	B Jami (Forest Park, U17)	06:12.6	02:04.2
10	M Jenkins (Battlefield, U17)	06:13.0	02:04.3

BOYS TOP 10
Place	Name (School, Age)	Time	Split
1	Alexander Johnson (Colgan, U17)	04:57.7	01:39.2
2	Jackson Ragland (Colgan, U17)	04:58.5	01:39.5
3	Jaeden Stewart (Colgan)	05:01.8	01:40.6
4	Erik Brancaleoni (Colgan)	05:06.9	01:42.3
5	Luke Tisler (Colgan)	05:07.3	01:42.4
6	Ben Shepard (Colgan, U17)	05:10.7	01:43.5
7	M Pullen (Woodbridge)	05:11.9	01:43.9
7	D Clauss (Colgan)	05:11.9	01:43.9
9	Tristan Domm (Colgan, Ltwt)	05:17.0	01:45.6
10	M Bang (Colgan, Frosh)	05:18.0	01:46.0

Iron Man Erg Sprint - Ramsey NJ

 Over the weekend our friends in the Northern NJ and Philly region threw down on the ergs while we were stuck lambasting the ghost of TC Williams for cancelled Erg Springs. 

 

Some impressive results of note:

Boys Winner: Henrjis Skirmants (Don Boscoe) 6:00.2 

How frustrating do you think that 0.2 was?

Girls Winner: Caitlin Cercere (Montclair) 7:06.2

Boys Top 8 Average Winner: Montclair with 6:27.0

Girls Top 8 Average Winner: Nereid Boat Club with 7:41.3

 

FULL RESULTS: https://regatta.time-team.nl/ironmen/2026/results/events.php 

Washington Post Eliminates All-Met Awards

Unfortunately our oligarchical overlord Jeff Bezoz has announced substantial cuts at the Washington Post. 

Among those cuts to the forth estate of independent journalism has been the elimination of the All-Met Awards for athletes in the DC area. 

Rowing is an often under-recognized and overlooked sport; these awards recognized the best amongst us each year and will be thoroughly missed from our community. 

This page is launching to partially fill that gap. Throughout the year the high school rowing seen in Virginia, Maryland, and DC is a hot bed of action. We will document, opine, and recognize the athletes and teams who making rowing in this area great.  

Standby for content to launch as we get closer to be back on the water and the start of racing. 

Use the form at the bottom of the page if there are athletes, teams, or races that you feel should be featured here. 

 - DC Rowing News