Ron Marafioti, conservation chairman for the Potomac River Smallmouth Club (PRSC), maintains that the higher-than-average flows on the Potomac for much of 2004 "camouflaged and shoved" the problems downstream.

"I suspect erosion is an increasing problem . . . all you have to do is float almost anywhere on the Upper Potomac, and you will see increasing numbers of downed trees and fresh soil along the banks," says Marafioti. "With the high flows, a variety of troublemakers are being washed downstream: organic and chemical nutrients, trash, discarded appliances and the like are out of sight, out of mind."

Maryland has jurisdiction over the upper Potomac; biologist Ed Enamait is responsible for managing the fishery. Enamait reports that in 2003, despite high water flows, smallmouth reproduction was surprisingly good. The bad news, however, was that the hatch was late, and the young fish were small in late fall, which usually results in above-average winter mortality. And in surveys during the summer of 2004, these now year-old smallies were smaller than normal for their age.

Adding to the problem was that rooted aquatic vegetation in the Potomac was much reduced -- vegetation that the fish need to hide from predators. And given the high water levels that occurred during the spring and part of the summer in 2004, aquatic vegetation was scarce again last year.

Continuing in the good news/bad news vein for the Potomac, Enamait concludes that over the past three years, growth rates for the river's smallmouth continue to be moderate. In several shocking expeditions, the smallmouths appeared to be in good balance by size, numbers were good, and the fish were in relatively good condition.

In western Virginia, the New River claims much of the news. Duke Energy has halted its plans to construct a gas-fired power plant next to the New River Trail State Park at Fosters Falls in Wythe County. Besides the environmental damage that would have been caused during construction, the plant also would have drawn water heavily tainted with lead and zinc from a mine -- water that could have been released as steam, which could have contaminated the river and its countryside.

On the lower New, the National Park Service (NPS) is currently conducting a study concerning whether a 20-mile section of the New from Glen Lyn to the mouth of Indian Creek in West Virginia should be included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. By this spring, a final report should go to Congress on the beneficial nature of the scenic river designation. The Scenic River designation would provide the strongest possible federal protection for the river's free-flowing condition and its values such as angling and recreation.

Britt Stoudenmire, who operates Canoe the New in Pearisburg, favors the designation, emphasizing that it would "protect the natural state of the river forever." Readers can send their comments to the NPS at the Web site listed at the end of this story.

Richard Neves, a fish and wildlife professor at Virginia Tech, has disturbing news concerning the North Fork of the Holston and the Clinch River. As readers may already know, the North Fork suffered terribly from mercury pollution in the 1960s and 1970s.

"Recent surveys have indicated that there are areas of mercury concentration on the North Fork, and in those areas, the invertebrate population (insects and crayfish) is transferring that mercury to the fish," said Neves. "Another problem on the North Fork involves sedimentation. Some farms along the river are plowed right to the bank, destroying the riparian zone and leading to sedimentation. Already we are noting that sedimentation is creating unsuitable conditions for invertebrates, which are a major food source for smallmouths. That same sedimentation can also impact smallmouth spawning by covering up areas where the fish could have reproduced."

Concerning the Clinch, Neves reports that in the past 30 years, biologists have noted a major decline in both numbers and diversity of mussel species. Why should bass fishermen care about that fact?

"The freshwater mussels serve as a purification system on the Clinch, as they filter out algae and remove sediments and particulates," said Neves. "Without that natural purification system, the Clinch stays turbid longer and that negatively impacts smallmouth spawning. I think that as the mussel populations decline, anglers could well see a decline in smallmouth numbers.