Anacostia River : Features

Starting this summer, parents can host birthday parties among the fish, crabs and turtles at the Aquatic Resources Education Center in Anacostia Park.    

In early January, Tommy Wells was appointed Acting Director of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).  A few weeks after he took over, Elevation DC sat down to talk with him about his vision for his department and his priorities for the coming years.  

Not many people know the Anacostia the way that Jorge Bogantes Montero does. As a natural resources specialist with the Anacostia Watershed Society, Montero is aware of the places where legacy pollutants form a troubled mix of dirty water.  But he has also found places along the shores where wild persimmon and pawpaw fruits can still be found dangling from the limbs of native trees each fall. 

Take a whirlwind, three-hundred-year tour through the Anacostia's history, from natural treasure to garbage dump and back again.

The nationwide competiton to design an elevated park over the Anacostia has reached its home stretch, with four finalists unveiling their designs Thursday. Any would be a welcome addition to D.C.

We're taking a long-awaited vacation, so this week, enjoy these greatest hits from our archives.

Six teams will go on to the next stage of the design competition to build an elevated park across the Anacostia.

The proposed elevated park across the Anacostia would be a first for D.C. With a national design competition for the bridge kicking off, Elevation DC checked in on the park and its goals of fostering economic development, community health, and a cleaner river.

A long-forgotten plan for a nature center on Kingman Island on the Anacostia is slowly coming back to life.

The foundation educates youth and young adults while improving Kingman Island for future generations.

An alternative paving material called Flexi-Pave is being piloted by DDOT and appears to be a solution to a long list of infrastructure challenges in D.C., including the age-old war between tree roots and sidewalks.

New data from the District Department of the Environment show a dramatic reduction in plastic bag use since the five-cent fee went into effect.

The Anacostia Watershed Society is studying catfish from the river to learn exactly what toxins are in their bodies and in the river. On Saturday, a fishing event drew residents out to help.

The nonprofit has been fighting the good fight in D.C. for nearly 20 years, tackling a wide range of challenges in the city. We spoke to Appleseed's executive director, Walter Smith, about the issues that matter now.

You've probably never paddled down the Anacostia River. Here's D.C's river in a whole new light.