Urban Waters Partnership

Anacostia Watershed (Washington, DC/Maryland)

The Anacostia River watershed is home to 43 species of fish, some 200 species of birds and more than 800,000 people. The river flows through Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland and past the Capital in the District. The watershed suffers from:

  • trash
  • toxins
  • sewage
  • runoff
  • oil
  • heavy metals
  • fish with tumors
  • severely degraded wildlife habitat

At 176 square miles, the watershed is one of the most urbanized in the United States. It has lost over 70% of forestland and 6,500 acres of wetlands. Impervious surfaces now cover 25% of the watershed. However, the Anacostia River and watershed hold enormous potential to provide abundant natural beauty, wildlife habitat and a variety of recreational amenities.

The recently released Anacostia Watershed Restoration Plan AWRP is the product of unprecedented regional and multijurisdictional cooperation to identify specific projects. When collectively implemented, these projects provide greatly enhanced environmental, economic and social benefits for the river and the watershed and enhance the vitality of communities in the Distrct of Columbia and Maryland’s Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.

List of Partners

  • American Council for Drug Education
  • Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration
  • U.S. Department of Defense
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Department of Transportation
  • Department of Education
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Housing and Urban Development
  • Health and Human Services National Institutes for Health
  • Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Department of the Interior National Park Service
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership
  • Anacostia Riverkeeper
  • Anacostia Watershed Society
  • DC Appleseed
  • DC Department of the Environment
  • Earth Conservation Corps
  • Groundwork Anacostia
  • Living Classrooms
  • Sierra Club
  • Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum
  • Washington Parks and People

Partnership in Action Report