The Anacostia Watershed Society was founded in 1989 by a small group of concerned individuals determined to free the Anacostia River of pollution and restore it to health. Over the past 35 years, our staff and programming efforts have expanded significantly to encompass efforts in environmental education, habitat restoration, and recreation, as well as working for change through public policy advocacy. We are making a difference and we hope you’ll help!
Mission and Vision Statements
AWS is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Anacostia River and its watershed for the benefit of all who live here and for future generations.
We envision the Anacostia river and its watershed renewed, its water quality restored, its wildlife and natural habitats revitalized, its ecology made resilient to a changing climate. We envision a healthy freshwater ecosystem in the heart of the DC metro region, nurtured by current and future generations of watershed stewards, where the economic, social, and spiritual benefits it provides are equitably enjoyed by all who live here. We envision the Anacostia watershed as an inspiring model of urban river conservation and management.
What’s In A Name?
Why are we called the Anacostia Watershed Society? The name represents a fundamental truth about rivers and about the way we approach our work.
The Anacostia River flows almost nine miles from Bladensburg, Maryland through the District of Columbia until it meets the Potomac River in the heart of Washington, which in turn flows into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
But the Anacostia is much more than its main channel. It is springs, wetlands, and streams across a 176 square mile area in DC and Maryland, all of which flow to the river. This is the Anacostia watershed, the freshwater ecosystem that AWS is committed to protect and restore.
Why? Because we believe that every stream and wetland in the watershed has its own intrinsic value, and because a river can only be as healthy as the waters that flow into it.
