Local leaders pledge new efforts to clean up Anacostia River

Officials visited the Aquatic Resource Education Center after signing the Anacostia River Accord Thursday. Mary Durand and son Ruben are pictured with Montgomery County Director of Environmental Protection Lisa Feldt, Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. (Courtesy Joseph Morcos, DOEE) — Officials visited the Aquatic Resource Education Center after signing the Anacostia River Accord Thursday. Mary Durand and son Ruben are pictured with Montgomery County Director of Environmental Protection Lisa Feldt, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. (Courtesy Joseph Morcos, DOEE)

Anglers arewarned not to eat certain fish caught in the Anacostia River. The river is safe for only 'non-contact recreation.' Swimming isn't allowed. (WTOP/Kristi King) — Anglers are warned not to eat certain fish caught in the Anacostia River. The river is safe for only ‘non-contact recreation.’ Swimming isn’t allowed. (WTOP/Kristi King)

Geese pictured in Anacostia Park are bad for the river. “Geese are putting a lot of pee and poop into the river and they’re eating a lot of our emerging wetland plants,” said Jim Foster, president of the Anacostia Watershed Society. But, Foster said the U.S. Park service worked to reduce the number of geese in the Anacostia this summer. (WTOP/Kristi King)

Outraged that raw sewage still gets dumped into the Anacostia River by the city's ancient sewer system during heavy rains, President of the Anacostia Watershed Society, Jim Foster praises the ongoing
Anacostia River Tunnel Project. "We'll be capturing all the sewer overflows by 2022," he says. "By early 2018 we'll be capturing about 80 percent of them. That's fabulous, that's going to be a big game changer." (WTOP/Kristi King) — Outraged that raw sewage still gets dumped into the Anacostia River by the city’s ancient sewer system during heavy rains, President of the Anacostia Watershed Society, Jim Foster praises the ongoing Anacostia River Tunnel Project. “We’ll be capturing all the sewer overflows by 2022,” he says. “By early 2018 we’ll be capturing about 80 percent of them. That’s fabulous, that’s going to be a big game changer.” (WTOP/Kristi King)

Plastic and Styrofoam are some of the biggest litter issues for the Anacostia River as evidenced by this water bottle at the Anacostia Park boat ramp. (WTOP/Kristi King)

Cynthia Wynn, of Southwest, D.C. stops by the Anacostia River in Anacostia Park nearly every day on her way to work. "Water energizes me and (also) the fresh air around the water," Wynn says. "I just love being in such an environment like this." (WTOP/Kristi King) — Cynthia Wynn, of Southwest D.C. stops by the Anacostia River in Anacostia Park nearly every day on her way to work. “Water energizes me and (also) the fresh air around the water,” Wynn says. “I just love being in such an environment like this.” (WTOP/Kristi King)

After the Anacostia River Accord signing event Thursday, environmental agency heads for D.C., Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties take a ride on the river. (Courtesy, Montgomery County Office of Public Information)

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WASHINGTON — Right now, the Anacostia River is so polluted people are advised not to swim in it or eat certain fish caught from its waters. Local officials signing the “Anacostia River Accord,” Thursday renewed their commitment to changing that.

“To truly restore the river, we want it to be swimmable, playable and fishable,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser during a news conference announcing the new efforts. “We have seen our policies working,” she said.

Watershed communities have implemented a number of measures to help clean up the river.

D.C. trash traps and skimmer boats collect plastics and other debris. Montgomery County has a 5-cent tax on plastic and paper bags, and Prince George’s County has a “clean sweep” community clean-up initiative.

Since the District’s bag law took effect in 2010, Bowser said there’s been a more than 70 percent reduction in plastic bags littering city waterways.

“And on Jan. 1, the District’s foam ban took effect and we think it will also reduce one of the most prevalent pollutants in the Anacostia,” Bowser said.

The Anacostia Accord is part of a larger effort to restore water quality throughout the watershed.

The Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership is a consortium of local, state and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and private citizens working to restore water quality under the auspices of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.