2024 State of the Anacostia River Report - Progress Worth Celebrating!

Our 2024 State of the River Report is here and there’s good news to celebrate! For the fourth time in seven years, water quality in the Anacostia River has received a passing grade. In fact, it has received the highest grade since AWS began issuing this annual report in 2014.

This remarkable progress reflects the dedication and hard work of our countless volunteers, community members, partner organizations, policymakers, staff and board who are committed to protecting and restoring this vital waterway in the heart of DC. However, even as we take a moment to celebrate, we must also acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead.

The Good News: Progress Worth Celebrating
This year’s passing grade signals improvements in water quality and wildlife habitat, largely due to decades-long efforts across the watershed to reduce pollution from combined sewer overflows, industrial sources, stormwater, and trash. Recent initiatives by AWS and its partners to recover mussel populations, restore streams and wetlands habitat, and reduce trash through community clean-ups and bans on styrofoam, plastic bags, and other pollutants have contributed to the river’s recovery. The slow but steady progress since AWS began monitoring water quality in 2002 is a testament to the determination of communities along the Anacostia to bring our river back to health.   

The Challenges: A Call to Action
Despite these gains, the State of the River report highlights critical areas still requiring attention:

Climate Change
The Anacostia watershed continues to suffer from the historic loss of wetlands and forests that once protected its rivers and streams from excessive runoff, sediment, and pollution. Climate change will inevitably heighten these challenges and threatens to offset the gains we’ve made over the last 35 years. More frequent and intense rain events and sea level rise can increase pollution levels, swamp restored wetlands, aggravate stormwater runoff, and threaten communities with flooding.

Fecal Bacteria
Although the score for fecal bacteria improved over the last year from 53% to 60%, levels remain stubbornly high in parts of the Anacostia River despite the dramatic reduction in combined sewer overflows as a result of the completion of DC Water’s Anacostia River Tunnel. This contamination is caused by sewage discharges and leaks, as well as pet and wildlife waste. We must redouble our efforts to curb these sources of organic pollutants.

Dissolved Oxygen
After years of improvement, dissolved oxygen, vitally important to the health of freshwater ecosystems, has declined in the Anacostia River in recent years. Decomposition of organic matters (leaves, grass, sewage) by bacteria can reduce dissolved oxygen, as can a lack of consistent rainfall. It is unclear exactly what is causing the recent declines, and further study is needed.

What’s Next?
While this year’s passing grade is a milestone, it’s clear that our work is far from over. The Anacostia Watershed Society urges further, comprehensive efforts to conserve and restore wetlands and forests, and reconnect floodplains with the river and streams of DC, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County to ensure climate resilience. In addition, we must continue to identify and abate sources of pollution that continue to affect water quality parameters such as fecal bacteria and dissolved oxygen.

To read the full text of the State of the River Report, visit our State of the River Report Card webpage.