Anacostia Riverkeeper

Help us reduce plastic pollution in the Anacostia watershed this . You can make a difference by taking some small actions with a big impact:

1. Donate today to help fund trash cleanup events through the rest of the year.

2. Take action against plastic bottle pollution and tell your local representatives to support a .

3. Join us at one of our upcoming trash cleanups in DC or Maryland to divert trash from the watershed.

4. Spread the word within your community to raise awareness about the impact of plastics in the environment.

5. Avoid single-use plastic where possible in your life. Swipe to see some suggestions!

Learn more and make your impact at the links in our bio.

This Saturday we headed to Pope Branch Park for our annual cleanup and collected 2,878 lbs of trash! We found a lot of bulk items from tires to mattresses and even a motorbike. Not to mention, the copious plastic bottles we found hiding in a storm drain — good thing we got them before yesterday’s rain!

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers that joined us including , and ! And thank you to for sponsoring this cleanup.

Want to attend a cleanup? Head to our website to join an upcoming event or request a cleanup for your group.

July is ! We want to send a huge shoutout and thank you to all our members who make our programming possible. You are the backbone of our organization.

When you become a member, start a recurring membership, renew your membership, or support one of our programs, you help us make an impact on our watershed community. Anacostia Riverkeeper needs your support and generosity to continue our progress towards a clean and healthy river.

Make your impact. Donate today at anacostiariverkeeper.org/donate or the link in our bio.

Wow! We were blown away but the turnout at Friday Night Fishing this weekend! Thank you to the almost 200 people that joined us Friday for a beautiful evening on the water.

We’ll be back next Friday from 5-8pm at Diamond Teague Park in Navy Yard. See you there!

Anacostia Riverkeeper is hiring! We’re seeking two motivated self-starters to join our team in part-time, hybrid roles. The Operations Associate will help run program operations including scheduling educational boat tours, managing email inquiries, and database management. The Outreach Associate will help run public-facing events like volunteer trash cleanups, family fishing, youth environmental education, and community tabling.

If you’re passionate about making a difference and looking to launch your career into the environmental field, we encourage you to apply! Learn more about the positions and how to apply at anacostiariverkeeper.org/employment-opportunities

Week 12 of the DC Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring program’s data is out! The forecast looks rainy this weekend and into next week, so please recreate responsibly. We recommend avoiding contact with the water 72 hours after rainfall. Special thanks to our partners and funders , , , and !

It’s a busy weekend of fun by the river! On Sunday, we’ll be tabling at the Lotus and Water Lily Festival! The festival will run 10am-4pm with lots of performances, nature walks, and interactive activities. Stop by our table and say hi! Learn more at nps.gov/keaq

This , we encourage you to take action to reduce plastic pollution! Plastic is one of the biggest trash issues on the Anacostia River, not only by amount but also impact.

Almost half of all trash we collected at cleanups in 2023 was plastic litter. In 2023 alone, we collected over 23,000 plastic bottles at cleanups and more than 72,000 plastic bottles in our Bandalong® Litter Traps. That’s a lot of plastic in our river! These items can cause even more damage to the Anacostia’s wildlife when they break down into microplastics and become incredibly hard to remove from the environment.

Learn more about plastic pollution in the Anacostia watershed in our Trash Mitigation Report on our website and linked in our bio. Stay tuned for how you can take action to help!

Happy Plastic Free July! This month, we encourage you to take action in your life to help make the Anacostia River for all. One way is to join us this Saturday July 20th from 9am-12pm for a Clean Waterways trash cleanup at Pope Branch Park!

Rain or shine. All supplies provided. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothing that can get dirty. More info at anacostiariverkeeper.org/events-calendar

Thanks to for sponsoring this cleanup.

Tonight’s Friday Night Fishing is cancelled due to heavy rain this evening. We’re sad to miss you all today, but we’ll be back next Friday from 5-8pm at Diamond Teague Park in Navy Yard! 🎣

Water quality data is out for DC Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring! Swipe through to see how your favorite site fared this week. Note that AR-2 and AR-3 are red and yellow due to high turbidity, though both sites had low single sample E. coli bacteria this week. Thank you to our monitors for braving the heat through the summer to get this important data! Special thanks to our partners and funders , , , and !

Maryland monitoring results are out for this week!

A few sites had low bacteria levels and could be good spots for recreation this weekend: Burnt Mills, Paint Branch and Becca Lily Park. However, Sligo Creek and some other sites had high bacteria levels. Note that Northeast Branch also had very low water clarity, so avoid water contact there as well. Reminder to avoid contact with streams for 72-hours after heavy rain.

Ver página cinco para resultados en Español. Recordatorio de recreo: Evite contacto con el agua durante 72 horas después que llueve.

A special thanks to all our community science monitors and our partners and funders: , Friends of Quincy Run, Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek, and Sustainable Hyattsville!

Mark your calendar! 📍 🗓️ 📍 Summer is here! We have many fun events coming up in the watershed through July including multiple free boat tours, fishing nights, and a major trash cleanup at Pope Branch Park.

Learn more about the events and sign up at the links in our bio!

Happy Fourth of July! This is week 10 of the program, marking halfway through the 2024 water quality monitoring season! Many sites had lower E. coli bacteria levels this week, but take caution at these sites after the rain after sampling. Thank you to all our volunteers who have monitored so far! Special thanks to our partners and funders , , , and !

Following Wednesday’s weather, and out of an abundance of caution, we took additional water quality samples on Friday. They have come back above E. coli recreational standards. Splash is being postponed until July 13th.

We are extremely disappointed to postpone our event but for the safety of all of the splashers, staff, and volunteers, this is the correct call.

Splash is tomorrow! Water quality results from Wednesday passed all DC recreational water quality standards and we have been approved by to host the special swim event.

We’re so excited we even made a playlist! Head to t.ly/YqL-B or the link in our bio to listen.

See you tomorrow at Kingman Island for Splash!

Logo design by
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DC water quality results are out! Thank you to all our volunteers who have been monitoring through June! Please note that RC-3 is yellow due to failing the turbidity water quality standard, but passed the SSV and Geometic Mean standards. Special thanks to our partners and funders , , , and !

Splash is in 2️⃣ days! We’re so excited to jump in the river soon!

Anacostia Riverkeeper is proud to be hosting the first permitted swim in the Anacostia River in over 50 years. See you Saturday!

Picture and graphic credit: Elizabeth O’Gorek (HillRag) and Jay Yen (CNN)
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Maryland monitoring results for this week are out!

Most sites in Prince George’s County and Northwest Branch passed water quality standards. However, Sligo Creek still shows higher bacteria levels. With some possible rain on Sunday, reminder to avoid contact with streams for 72-hours after heavy rain.

Ver página cinco para resultados en Español. Recordatorio de recreo: Evite contacto con el agua durante 72 horas después que llueve.

A special thanks to all our community science monitors and our partners and funders: , Friends of Quincy Run, Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek, and Sustainable Hyattsville!

Monitoring for Splash is complete! ✅ Today we collected water samples to analyze for E. coli bacteria and turbidity, and measured pH to ensure the water quality is safe for Splash. We will receive results tomorrow and compare them to DC’s recreational water quality standards to get the green light for Splash! In 2023, our monitoring before the previously planned Splash dates all passed these standards with flying colors.

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Friday Night Fishing season has officially begun! Thank you to the 91 people that joined us last Friday for a hot but fun night on the river. We caught 4 catfish, 2 striped bass, and even a skateboard!

We’ll be back every Friday night July 12-Sept 6 at Diamond Teague Park in Navy Yard for more fishing. See you there!

Splash is 1️⃣ week away! We’re proud to be hosting the first permitted swim in the Anacostia River in over 50 years on June 29th.

We hope this post answers some of your questions about water quality in relation to the event. Learn more on our website.



Department of Energy & Environment Mayor Bowser DC Water

DC water quality results are out! More sites passed this week including Kingman Island, Buzzard Point, and Washington Channel. It will be extremely hot this weekend, so please recreate responsibly and stay hydrated. Special thanks to our partners and funders , , , and !

Our 12th year of Friday Night Fishing in Navy Yard starts tomorrow! 🎣

Join us (almost) every Friday night from 5-8pm throughout the summer at Diamond Teague Dock by Nats Park for a free evening of fun! Supplies are provided and staff are available to teach you how to fish. All ages and abilities welcome! Thank you to our sponsor for supporting this program.

Learn more at the link in our bio.

Thank you to for joining us at Kingman Island on Saturday for a day outside! With boat tours, a bird walk, and a trash cleanup, families got to explore the island and engage with their river.

If you’re looking for a getaway, Kingman Island has so much to offer and is a great oasis right in the city!

Looking for summer volunteer opportunities? We’re hosting two virtual training sessions tomorrow June 18th for programs we need your help with!

1. DC Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring - Training June 18, 12pm. Gain hands on experience collecting data and water samples as a community science monitor. Sign up at the link in our bio.

2. Prince George’s County Illegal Dumping Driving Investigation - Training June 18, 6pm. As we continue to address the issue of trash in the watershed, we are starting a new study to investigate patterns of illegal dumping hotspots within Prince George’s County. Volunteers will help us drive the roads of the county to identify these illegal dumping sites. Learn more by filling out our interest form at bit.ly/ARKdrivingsurvey

Splash is 2️⃣ weeks away! We’re so excited to be this close … and it’s been a long time coming. Scroll through to see the water quality milestones that have led to making this event possible and learn more on our website blog!

DC recreational water quality results are out for this week! With the sunny weather recently, we saw lower bacteria levels across most sites. Remember to check back here weekly throughout the summer for updates. Swipe to see full results and learn more about District water quality standards. Special thanks to our partners , , and !

Maryland monitoring results for this week are out! With no rain ahead of Wednesday, many sites fared much better than last time. ☀️

Bladensburg Waterfront Park and areas further upstream on Northwest and Northeast Branch passed water quality standards. However, Sligo Creek had high bacteria levels at all sites. We will continue to investigate and keep an eye on things there. Reminder to avoid contact with streams for 72-hours after rain.

Ver página cinco para resultados en Español. Recordatorio de recreo: Evite contacto con el agua durante 72 horas después que llueve.

A special thanks to all our community science monitors and our partners and funders: , Friends of Quincy Run, Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek, and Sustainable Hyattsville!

Join us to shape the future of Anacostia Park! We invite you to join a pivotal public meeting on June 25 at Anacostia High School to discuss the updated design concepts for Anacostia Park. Your involvement is crucial to ensuring that the park continues to meet community needs!

Your voice matters! After the meeting, you can submit comments online. For further details and to view the design concepts, visit parkplanning.nps.gov/anacostiadcp.