Focus on the Anacostia RiverThe Anacostia River is the Washington, D.C. area's greatest source of toxic pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. With almost all of its natural wetlands and tributaries swallowed up by the city and suburbs, the Anacostia's problems are typical of urban rivers. Chemicals dumped in the river over the past century, an outdated sewer system that channels raw sewage and pollution into the waterway, and the disappearance of the river's natural mechanism for self-cleaning all contribute to the problem. Although the Anacostia River is one of the three most toxic rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, its problems have long been overlooked, perhaps due to its location in the poorest section of Washington. While the Potomac River, flowing past wealthy homes and seats of power, has received the attention it deserves, the city has practically turned its back on the Anacostia.  When George Washington and Thomas Jefferson chose the present site of the District of Columbia in 1791, they had no doubt that the deep, wide Anacostia would be a great asset to the city and the nation. In fact, on Jefferson's advice, President Washington asked Congress to amend the 1790 Residence Act to redraw city boundaries so the Anacostia would run through, not around, the District of Columbia. However, by neglecting to ensure a source of stable funding for the city's government, or a source of political power for the District, the forefathers set the Anacostia on a troubled path. The effects of those decisions continue to this day.
Since then, the Washington area has grown from an unsettled wilderness to a metropolitan area of more than 5.5 million inhabitants. In the same period, the natural ecosystem of the Anacostia River has been transformed from wetlands and streams into a network of sewer systems running beneath a highly developed urban area. More than 70% of the watershed's 176 square miles have been developed, with approximately 24% of the area covered with impervious surfaces--rooftops, streets and parking lots.
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