| Anacostia River | |
|---|---|
 Anacostia River adjacent to theUnited States National Arboretum inWashington, D.C. | |
 Map of the Anacostia River watershed | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Maryland,District of Columbia |
| Counties | MD:Prince George's DC:City of Washington |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Bladensburg, MD |
| • coordinates | 38°56′33″N76°56′38″W / 38.94250°N 76.94389°W /38.94250; -76.94389 |
| Mouth | Potomac River |
• location | Washington, DC |
• coordinates | 38°51′13″N77°01′13″W / 38.85361°N 77.02028°W /38.85361; -77.02028 |
• elevation | −3 ft (−0.91 m)[1] |
| Length | 8.4 mi (13.5 km) |
| Basin size | 176 sq mi (460 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | mouth |
| • average | 216.93 cu ft/s (6.143 m3/s) (estimate)[2] |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Northeast Branch |
| • right | Northwest Branch |
TheAnacostia River/ænəˈkɒstiə/ is a river in theMid-Atlantic region of the United States. It flows fromPrince George's County inMaryland intoWashington, D.C., where it joins with theWashington Channel and ultimately empties into thePotomac River atBuzzard Point. It is about 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long.[3] The name "Anacostia" derives from the area's early history asNacotchtank, a settlement of Necostan or AnacostanNative Americans on the banks of the Anacostia River.
Heavypollution in the Anacostia and weak investment anddevelopment along its banks made it "D.C.'s forgotten river".[4] More recently, however, private organizations; local businesses; and the D.C.,Maryland, andfederal governments have made efforts to reduce pollution and protect the ecologically valuable Anacostiawatershed.
Themain stem of the Anacostia is formed by theconfluence of theNorthwest Branch and theNortheast Branch just north ofCottage City, Maryland.Tributaries of these sources includeSligo Creek,Paint Branch, Little Paint Branch, Indian Creek, Upper Beaverdam Creek, Dueling Branch, and Brier's Mill Run. Tributaries of the main stem Anacostia includeWatts Branch, Lower Beaverdam Creek, and Hickory Run.
Thewatershed of the river covers roughly 176 sq mi (460 km2) in easternMontgomery County and northern Prince George's County, as well as most of the eastern half of Washington, D.C.
Captain John Smith recorded in his journals that he sailed up the "Eastern Branch" or Anacostia River, in 1608 in his search for the main branch of the Potomac River and was well received by the Anacostans. On earlier maps, the river was known as the "Eastern Branch of the Potomac River" until it received its current, official name. In the mid-1600s, the name "Annacostin River" was applied to the stretch of the Potomac River north ofOxon Creek up to the vicinity of present-day Washington where the confluence with the modern Anacostia (then called the Eastern Branch or St. Isidora's Creek) andSt. James Creek formed a natural harbor called St. Thomas's Bay.[5][6]
TheWashington City Canal operated from 1815 until the mid-1850s, initially connecting the Anacostia toTiber Creek and the Potomac River; and later to theChesapeake and Ohio Canal. The city canal fell into disuse in the late 19th century, and the city government covered over or filled in various sections.[7]
During theAmerican Civil War, an extensive line offorts was constructed south of the river in order to preventConfederate artillery from bombarding theWashington Navy Yard, which abuts the river.
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is:status of WSSC lawsuit, EPA discharge permit and litter control system. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2017) |
One of the biggest problems facing the Anacostia River is rawsewage that enters the river and its tributaries. During rainstorms, the river receives discharges of untreated sewage due to the city's antiquatedcombined sewer system. The sewage creates a public health threat because offecal coliform bacteria and otherpathogens; it also impairswater quality and can createhypoxic conditions that lead to largefish kills.
According to Rianna Murray et al. and a study from theNOAA Office of Response and Restoration, many citizens living along the Anacostia River have been exposed to water pollution.[8][9] One study done on recreational exposure to pollution along the river showed that many people reported "exposure to water while canoeing, kayaking, rowing, rafting, and paddling, and members of this group also reported getting water in their mouth while recreating."[8] This exposure to polluted water has potential adverse effects on the health of individuals and their community.[8]
The Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) sued theDistrict of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) in 1999 for allowing more than 2 billion US gallons (7,600,000 m3) of combined sewage andurban runoff (stormwater) to flow into the river via its antiquatedcombined sewer overflow system. In settling the lawsuit, DC Water agreed to invest $140 million on pump station rehabilitation, pipe cleaning and maintenance and public notices of overflows.[10][11]
In late 2004, AWS and other organizations announced plans to sue theWashington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), the sewage authority in Maryland, over similar problems with river contamination from the Maryland suburbs. According to WSSC, more than 4 million US gallons (15,000 m3) of raw sewage were released into Anacostia tributaries between January 2001 and June 2004.[citation needed]
Under a stormwater discharge permit issued by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the D.C. government is implementing a stormwater management program to improve water quality in the Anacostia.[12] The governments of Montgomery County and Prince George's County also operate stormwater management programs.[13][14]
In response to the litigation, in 2011 DC Water began building a large system of sewage storage tunnels to reduce combined sewer overflow. Four deep storage tunnels next to the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers will reduce overflows to the Anacostia by 98 percent, and 96 percent system-wide. The first segment of the tunnel system, 7 miles (11 km) in length, opened in 2018.[15] (The city's overall "Clean Rivers" project, projected to cost $2.6 billion, includes other components, such asreducing stormwater flows.)[16] The remaining segments of the Anacostia storage system were completed in September 2023.[17] The major structure is a 12,500 feet (3,800 m) long, 23 feet (7.0 m) diameter reinforced concrete tunnel, buried approximately 80 to 120 feet deep.[18] The Clean Rivers project is scheduled for completion in 2030 and will comprise over 18 miles (29 km) of tunnels with a storage capacity of 157 million US gallons (590,000 m3).[19]
Another large source of river pollution is the Washington Navy Yard, which is sited alongside the river and is believed to be a source ofPCB contaminants in the river and sediment.[20]
In May 2009, a Bandalong Litter Trap floating litter-control system was placed in the Watts Branch tributary of the Anacostia River as part of MayorAdrian Fenty's "Green DC Agenda."[21] In its first year of operation, it removed more than 500 pounds (230 kg) of floatable litter per month from the river.[22]
Since 2018, thousands of mussels have been placed in the Anacostia in an effort to reduce the impact ofurban runoff,PCBs, andmicroplastics on river water quality and overall river health. This effort has happened in conjunction with a movement to make the river a popular local water recreation site.[23]
Mussels, which are filter feeders, have a strong capability to clean water. The Anacostia Watershed Society estimates that the mussels have already purified 32 million gallons of water in the first year of this project.[24]
The pilot project began in 2018 when the Anacostia Watershed Society harvested 9,000 quarter-sized mussels and placed them in the river in protective baskets. In 2019, after 92% of the mussels survived the first year of the project, theD.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) gave the watershed society a $400,000 grant to put another 35,000 mussels in the river.[24] Half of this funding came from the federal government, and the other half came from afive cent tax on plastic bags in the District.[23]
This project came at an especially important moment for Anacostia River health, as the D.C. area weathered intense rain in 2018 which contributed to much sediment, waste, and organic material flowing into the river. River health has improved since, as noted in the watershed society's 2019 river report card. The Anacostia earned its second-best-ever grade in the 2019 State of the Anacostia Report Card, but still failed the evaluation, earning a 51 percent.[25]
Swimming or wading in the Anacostia became illegal in 1971. However, as of 2019, city officials are considering changing this law and building public river pools. DOEE Director Tommy Wells said, “I believe we will have swimming platforms in Washington, D.C. by 2025."[26]
Freshwater mussels have tougher meat than saltwater mussels, so local restaurants are unlikely to buy them. “Without commercial demand for freshwater mussels, funding for their restoration hinges on proof of their ability to save rivers,"The Washington Post reported in 2019.[23]
TheBladensburg Waterfront Park, part of the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation, currently occupies the banks of the Anacostia near AlternateRoute 1.[27] The Port Towns Community Boathouse at the park is home to public boat and bike rentals, a public boat ramp and dock, and a shell house used by the Washington Rowing School, the rowing crews of theUniversity of Maryland andThe Catholic University of America, and those of several local high schools:DeMatha Catholic,Elizabeth Seton,Montgomery Blair, andWalter Johnson.[28] The Anacostia Community Boathouse, on the Washington, DC portion of the river, is home to Capital Rowing Club, DC Strokes Rowing Club, and various youth rowing programs.[29]
TheAnacostia Riverwalk Trail (partially complete as of June 2016) connects Bladensburg Waterfront Park theTidal Basin via 28 miles (45 km) of paved, shared-use path with connections and spurs to theNational Arboretum,Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens,Nationals Park,Maine Avenue Fish Market, and other locations.[30]
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