1992

• President Bush declares this year as the "Year of Clean Water."
• The Chesapeake Bay Program sets nutrient reduction goals for the Potomac and other bay tributaries.

1993

• An oil pipeline ruptures and spills over 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel into Sugarland Run, a Northern Virginia tributary of the Potomac.
• The American Rivers Association designates the Anacostia River as the fourth most endangered river in North America.

1996

• Total suspended solids in the Potomac River remain a problem, due to the increased development and higher runoff from impervious surfaces.
• Application of lawn and crop fertilizers contributes to higher than acceptable levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Potomac.

1998

• Maryland passes a Water Quality Improvement Act to address the problem of nutrient pollution. The Federal Clean Water Action Plan is initiated, emphasizing a watershed approach to restoring the nation’s waters.
• The Potomac River is selected as an American Heritage River.
• Outbreaks of a fish disease traced to the Pfisteria microbe kill thousands of fish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.