Anacostia Watershed Society Homepage

October 31, 2005

Bladensburg Waterfront Park (Anacostia)

Anacostia Community Boathouse & Matthew Henson Center & Pump House (Anacostia)

When there is a rainfall event after our forecast, we recommend that people who were on the River take a shower, even though we forecast the day's flag color blue.

Fecal coliform levels are BELOW the standard for boating.

YELLOW flag:

Fecal coliform levels are ABOVE the standard for boating.

A BLUE flag is posted when the bacteria level is below the boating standard (less than 1,000/100ml). If the fecal coliform level count exceeds 1,000/100ml, a YELLOW flag is posted to indicate a potential health risk. Yellow flags signal that water quality near the testing site does not meet the boating standard. Most yellow flag days occur after heavy rainfall when stormdrains and sewer system overflows flush pollutants into the rivers. While it is always a good idea to wash after being on the river, it is particularly important on yellow flag days. Some boaters choose to stay off the river on yellow flag days because elevated bacterial levels pose a potential health risk.

The rivers flowing through Washington, DC have been polluted with high bacteria counts for more than fifty years. Because the public perception has defined the rivers as unhealthy to associate with or be around, more than two generations of Washingtonians have turned their back on the rivers, and this has only exacerbated the problems. Today, government agencies such as the DC Water And Sewer Authority (WASA), and the DC Dept of Environmental Health estimate that more than two billion gallons of raw sewage are discharged into the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers every year.

Since Washington is a Federal City, several federal agencies have been participating in a growing community/government campaign to restore its rivers to swimmable and fishable. There is growing pressure from recreational boaters and more than forty school-based crew teams for healthy places to practice and enjoy their sport, and to have an acceptable venue for competition. The Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and Capital Rowing Club estimate that more than 1,800 paddlesport participants make use of the rivers on a regular, if not daily, basis during the season.

There is a rising number of new immigrants and low-income minority fisherman who use the rivers as a main source of protein for their families. Most of these people are not aware that there is a fish eating advisory warning in place for both the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Assays have revealed that resident fish contain toxics like chlordane (a pesticide) and PCB's in their fatty tissues. In addition, in fall of 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed a fish study and issued a statement that more than 50% of the catfish in the Anacostia River exhibit skin lesions and liver tumors on their bodies.

AWS, in partnership with several community groups, has mounted a campaign to end or reduce the combined sewer overflows (CSO) into our Washington rivers. From our 15 years of experience working in Anacostia communities, there is a known correlation between polluted rivers and low community esteem. In neighborhoods where trash and pathogens do not dominate the riverine environment, property values are higher and the community is more cohesive.

AWS's mission is to restore the health and recreational use of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers for all the people in our region. Although CSOs are not the only problem associated with the water, it is one that can be addressed. Increasing public awareness about the daily conditions of the river will serve to build a public constituency for the remediation and blossoming of Washington's Waterfront and riverside communities.

Blue and yellow flags on the map represent flagging stations only, not the color of the day. Look at the top of this page to see the water quality conditions for today.