What value does the Anacostia have?
There are many reasons to value the Anacostia watershed. Living near healthy, functioning rivers and ecosystems provides tangible benefits. These benefits can be environmental, economic, or social.
What is a watershed?
To understand the benefits of a healthy watershed, first we must understand what it is. A watershed is an area of land that drains rain or snow melt into one location such as a stream, lake or wetland. The Anacostia watershed encompasses all the land where water will eventually drain into the Anacostia River, this includes areas of the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, MD and Prince George’s County, MD.
The Anacostia river has 13 major creeks and streams that run into it. These tributaries each have their own subwatershed (shown to the left). All of the water from these subsheds drain into the Anacostia River and then into the Potomac River. Keeping the Anacostia healthy helps keep the downstream Potomac and Chesapeake Bay watersheds healthy as well.
