To Maintain a Watershed

Trash Traps, Habitat Restoration, and How You Can Help

What is a watershed?

A watershed is an area of land that drains rainfall and snowmelt into outlets like streams, rivers, and bays. Wherever you are, you are in a watershed - and it's a key factor the environmental health of your entire community.

In addition to the challenge of pollution from trash and chemicals, centuries of development and neglect have left many of our rivers and creeks without sufficient natural defenses. This has led to many challenges from floods to toxins - harming humans as well as wildlife.

In the DMV, an area of 176 square miles including half of D.C. is within the Anacostia River watershed. Once a major shipping route back in colonial days, the vital (and beautiful) Anacostia river has now faced challenges from pollutants, development, and misinformed planning for hundreds of years. Since the 18th century, the Anacostia has lost 96% of its once 2500 acres of wetlands.

Learning Resources:

We can make it better

Since its founding in 1989, the Anacostia Watershed Society has worked to cleanup and restore the Anacostia River and the surrounding watershed. Made up of community members and concerned individuals on a mission to "Clean the Water, Recover the Shores, and Honor the Heritage", the AWS is engaged in education, research, restoration - as well as recreation and opportunities for enjoying the river. The AWS believes we can work together to restore the Anacostia watershed, making the Anacostia river healthy to fish and swim by 2025.

Working with AWS, we took part in 3 different types of volunteer activities over the course of our project.

Trash Sorting Challenge

We worked alongside a group of volunteers and with AWS water quality specialist Masaya Maeda, the creator and keeper of the Trash Trap at Nash Run, to sort and measure trash pollution collected at the trap. In addition to diverting this waste, this data will be used to identify pollution sources and to influence policy. This kind of data has been critical to improving the Anacostia River watershed, including the passage of the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 - also known as the Bag Law.

Team member Sahmira is sorting trash into orange buckets

The whole Dedicated 6 team surrounded by trash

The Trash Trap at Nash Run Tributary

The source of the trash we sorted was the trash trap at the Nash Run tributary - just one of the many projects we got to see and learn about during our journey with the Anacostia Watershed Society. Masaya Maeda and the AWS stewardship team started the Nash Run Trash Trap project to respond to overpollution from trash and debris. The trap was installed around the mouth of Nash Run, which is the entrance to Kenilworth Marsh and flows directly into the tidal waters of the Anacostia. The trash trap is cleverly angled at a 5 degree incline, so that the force of the stream can push trash and debris upward on the screen instead of clogging, which protects the natural flow of water. The project is supported and funded by the DC Department of the Environment.

Adopt-A-Block Cleanup

AWS’s Community Engagement Coordinator, Stacy Lucas, helped us organize an “Adopt-a-block” community cleanup. We partnered with We Act Radio to help clean up their community garden and event space, just blocks away from the Anacostia River’s southern bank. In addition to cleaning up harmful debris from nearby construction (that would otherwise find its way into our water), the garden provides natural benefits including: supporting pollinators, absorbing stormwater, growing food, and providing a venue for people to connect with nature as well as to each other.

members of the team cleaning up behind We Act Radio

Pontoon Boat Tour

The best way to connect to the river is to get out on the water. AWS’s River Restoration Program Director (and boat captain), Ariel Trahan guided us on a tour of a portion of the river - we observed and learned about restoration efforts including the Muscle Restoration Project and protected wetland areas, as well as community benefit projects like docks, walkways, and boating activities. We observed weak flow conditions and discussed their historical causes and current effects, such as concentrated patches of trash along and within the river. Best of all, we got to see some of the wonderful wildlife that is now, thanks to restoration efforts, returning to this waterway - including birds, fish, and a beaver who loves sunbathing.

members of the team on a boat in the river

A muscle restoration project in the water with kayaks in the background

You can make the difference

Learn about volunteering with the Anacostia Watershed Society.

The Dedicated 6

As part of the University of the District of Columbia's Frontier Capstone course, we're a group of students on a mission to learn and help.

Comprised of group members Valerie Jones, Sahmira Gabremedhin, Luis Delgado, Rachel Johnson, Nathania Hamilton, and Garrick Holland, our group worked with the Anacostia Watershed Society to learn about and work on issues facing our local environment. We're proud to have worked as a cohesive team, bringing a variety of skills and innovative solutions to the table

As we've learned throughout the project, our watersheds are really big and they face big challenges, but working together - all of us in our communities - we can make a big difference. You can learn about volunteer opportunities with the Anacostia Watershed Society by visiting AnacostiaWS.org