We Can Help Nurture Our River

Last Tuesday I attended the Capitol Hill Garden Club. Sam Francis gave a talk on the Anacostia River and Watershed. Ms. Francis is an environmental science teacher in public and private schools and has worked for the Anacostia Watershed Society and other environmental groups.

Ms. Francis showed us a map of the eight-mile Anacostia River and its 170-square-mile watershed area. Most of the watershed is in Maryland, and the river runs through that state and D.C. As rivers go, it is fairly short, but it is very important to our ecosystem. The Anacostia River feeds the Potomac, which feeds the Chesapeake Bay.

The major pollution problems for the river are caused by heavy runoff during rain, which carries litter and dirt into the river. Sediment smothers riverbed plants that are critical to ducks, fish, turtles and other marine life. In the summer, runoff from streets and parking lots that goes directly into storm drains carries litter and reaches temperatures so high that it kills the marine life. Oils and other automotive leakages carried by the runoff further destroy delicate balances in the river and its tributaries.

Gardens and plantings of any kind support the health of the river. Plants and their root systems help water to seep slowly into the ground, and from the aquifer the water can more gradually reach the river. The ground provides a filtering system, so water is cooler and less polluted when it enters the river system. Plants absorb some of the water, without absorbing the pollutants, and then they release pure water vapor into the air.

Trees in parking lots and along streets provide shade so the runoff is less hot. Ms. Francis showed a slide where one store owner created a runoff from his parking lot onto a patch of earth, which he graded with sand and gravel and on which he planted trees. This gave the runoff time to cool, be absorbed, and reach the creeks and river gradually, free of litter and silt.

Within the Anacostia Watershed, we can contribute to our river's health by planting trees, grasses, ground covers and gardens. We can make sure we pick up litter so it is not washed down street drains. We can ask our friends and neighbors to also contribute to this effort. We can contact the Anacostia Watershed Society (http://www.anacostiaws.org) to participate in clean-up campaigns and to go on canoe or pontoon boat trips (from early spring through late fall). You will see great blue herons and egrets on the river's banks and many other forms of wildlife in and along the river.

Our river is coming back slowly. Both the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and the National Arboretum border the Anacostia. We can come to love our river and care for its health and well-being. §