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Encyclopedia > Anacostia River
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The Anacostia River is a river that flows about 8.4 mi (13.5 km) from Prince George's County in Maryland, to cut through from east to south in Washington, DC, where it empties into the Potomac River at Hains Point. The Anacostia River was originally known simply as "the Eastern Branch." Jump to: navigation, search The Murray River in Australia. ... A mile is any of several units of distance, or, in physics terminology, of length. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... Jump to: navigation, search Location in the state of Maryland Formed 1696 Seat Upper Marlboro Area  - Total  - Water 1,291 km² (498 mi²) 34 km² (13 mi²) 2. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Senators Paul Sarbanes (D) Barbara Mikulski (D) Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... The Potomac River at Great Falls, MD from Olmstead Island, water relatively low The Potomac River flows into Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Located at the southern tip of a peninsula extending into the Potomac River from Washington, DC, Hains Point is located at the geographical location where the Anacostia River and the Potomac River diverge. ...


Heavy pollution in the Anacostia and weak investment and development along its banks have led to it becoming what many have called "DC's forgotten river." In recent years, however, private organizations, local businesses, and the DC, Maryland and federal governments have made joint efforts to reduce its pollution levels in order to protect the ecologically valuable Anacostia watershed. Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ... A watershed is either (1) a region of land where water flows into a specified body of water, such as a river, lake, sea, or ocean or (2) a topographical boundary between catchment basins. ...


The watershed of the river roughly covers 176 mi² (456 km²) in Eastern Montgomery County and Northern Prince George's County, as well as parts of Washington, DC. Tributaries of the Anacostia include Northwest Branch and Northeast Branch, the confluence of which just above Bladensburg forms the main stem of the river; Sligo Creek, Paint Branch, Little Paint Branch, Indian Creek, Beaverdam Creek, Dueling Branch, and Brier Ditch flow into these two tributaries while Lower Beaverdam Creek and Hickory Run flow directly into the river. A square mile is the area equal to a square with sides each 1 mile long. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Location in the state of Maryland Formed 1776 Seat Rockville Area  - Total  - Water 1,313 km² (507 mi²) 30 km² (12 mi²) 2. ... A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... A confluence is the merger or meeting of two or more objects (or subjects) that seem to inseparably bind their respective forces or attributes into a point of junction. ... Bladensburg is a town located in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ... Sligo Creek is a free-flowing tributary of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, which feeds into the Potomac River and eventually emptys into the Atlantic Ocean via Chesapeake Bay. ...


Pollution sources

One of the biggest problems facing the Anacostia River is raw sewage that enters the river and its tributaries due to antiquated sewer systems. The sewage creates a public health threat due to fecal coliform bacteria and other pathogens; it also impairs water quality and can create hypoxic conditions that lead to large fish kills. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Sewers transport wastewater from buildings to treatment facilities. ... Binomial name Escherichia coli T. Escherich, 1885 Escherichia coli (usually abbreviated to E. coli) is one of the main species of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of warm-blooded animals (including birds and mammals) and are necessary for the proper digestion of food. ... Hypoxia occurs when the oxygen content in a waterbody becomes so low that animals cannot function and die. ...


The Washington, DC Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) was sued by the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) in 1999 for allowing more than 2 billion US gallons (7,600,000 m³) of combined sewage and storm water to flow into the river via its antiquated combined sewer overflow system. In settling the lawsuit, WASA agreed to invest $140 million on pump station rehabilitation, pipe cleaning and maintenance and public notices of overflows. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The gallon (abbr. ... The United States dollar, or American dollar, is the official currency of the United States. ...


In late 2004, AWS and other organizations announced plans to sue the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission over similar problems with river contamination from the Maryland suburbs. According to WSSC, more than 4 million US gallons (15,000 m³) of raw sewage was released into Anacostia tributaries between January 2001 and June 2004. The discharges are due to breaks in older sewer lines as well as overwhelmed or failing pumps and clogged lines. Jump to: navigation, search 2004(MMIV) is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...


Another large source of river pollution is the Washington Navy Yard, which is sited alongside the river and is believed to be a source of PCB contaminants in the river and sediment. The Washington Navy Yard is the U.S. Navys oldest shore establishment. ... Labelling transformers containing PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of organic compounds with 1 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl and a general structure of C12H10-xClx. ...


External Links

See Also

Potomac River system
Dams and aqueducts
Bloomington Dam | Westvaco Dam | Cumberland Flood Control Dam
Natural features & Regions
Western Maryland | Baltimore-Washington Metro Area | Chesapeake |

Eastern Panhandle | Allegheny Plateau | Ridge-and-valley Appalachians This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Maryland: Anacostia River Antietam Creek Back River River Big Pipe River Catoctin River Chester River Choptank River Christina River Deer River Dividing River Elk River Gunpowder River Jones Falls Little Choptank River Little Monocacy River Little Pipe River... The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge carries South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. It was completed in 1941 and named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass. ... The John Philip Sousa Bridge is a bridge that carries Pennsylvania Avenue across the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. It has partial interchanges with Interstate 695 at its western terminus and with District of Columbia Route 295 at its eastern terminus. ... The Whitney Young Memorial Bridge, otherwise known as the East Capitol Street Bridge, is a bridge that carries East Capitol Street across the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. It was renamed after civil rights activist Whitney Young in 1973. ... The Potomac River at Great Falls, MD from Olmstead Island, water relatively low The Potomac River flows into Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Scrivener Dam, Canberra Australia, was engineered to withstand a once-in-5000-years flood event A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman era aqueduct circa 19 BC, it is one of Frances top tourist attractions at over 1. ... Jennings Randolph Lake is a constructed lake located on the North Branch Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia approximately eight miles upstream of Bloomington, Maryland, and approximately five miles north of Elk Garden, West Virginia. ... Western Maryland is the portion of U.S. state of Maryland that consists of Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties. ... The official U.S. Census Bureau-designated Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV Combined Statistical Area. ... Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. ... Eastern panhandle The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. ... The Allegheny Plateau is a large, dissected plateau area in southern New York, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. ... The Ridge-and-valley Appalachians are a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from northern New Jersey westward into Pennsylvania and southward into Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. ...

Tributaries
Stony River (WV) | Savage River (MD) | Georges Creek (MD) | New Creek (WV) | Wills Creek (MD) | Pattersons Creek (WV) | Mill Creek (WV) | Mill Run (WV)| Little Cacapon River (WV) | Cacapon River (WV) | Dillons Run (WV) | Edwards Run (WV) | Lost River (WV) | North River (WV) | Sleepy Creek (WV/VA) | Back Creek (WV/VA) | Opequon Creek (WV/VA) | Antietam Creek (PA/MD) | Shenandoah River (WV/VA) | North Fork Shenandoah River (VA) | South Fork Shenandoah River (VA) | Monocacy River (MD) | Catoctin Creek (VA) | Seneca Creek (MD) | Rock Creek (DC/MD) | Anacostia River (DC/MD) | Sligo Creek (MD) | Piscataway Creek (MD) | Occoquan River (VA) | Bull Run (VA) | Neabsco Creek (VA) | Mattawoman Creek (MD) | Quantico Creek (VA) | Aquia Creek (VA) | Nanjemoy Creek (MD) | Port Tobacco River (MD) | Wicomico River (MD) | St. Marys River (MD) | Yeocomico River (VA)


A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... Jump to: navigation, search Stony River is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in Grant County in West Virginias Eastern Panhandle. ... The Savage River is located in Garrett County, Maryland and is the first large tributary of the North Branch of the Potomac River. ... Georges Creek has its headwaters near Frostburg, Maryland and empties into the Potomac River at Westernport, Maryland all in western Allegany County, Maryland. ... New Creek lies in Mineral County, West Virginia and Grant County, West Virginia, it is the 3rd major tributary to the Potomac Rivers north branch. ... Wills Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland Categories: Southern US geography stubs | Maryland rivers | Chesapeake Bay Watershed | Potomac River Watershed ... Pattersons Creek enters the Potomac River east of Cumberland, Maryland with the headwaters being in Grant County, West Virginia. ... Mill Creek is a tributary of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. ... Mill Run is a tributary of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. ... The Little Cacapon viewed north from Okonoko-Little Cacapon Road (CR 2/7) Bridge. ... The Cacapon River, located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginias Eastern Panhandle region, is a beautiful and scenic river known for its outstanding fishing, boating, wildlife, and scenery. ... Dillons Run is a tributary of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. ... Edwards Run is a tributary of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. ... The Lost River is located in the Appalachian Mountains of Hardy County in West Virginias Eastern Panhandle region. ... Jump to: navigation, search North River is a tributary of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. ... Sleepy Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River, belonging to the Chesapeake Bays watershed. ... Back Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River that flows north from Frederick County, Virginia to Berkeley County, West Virginia in the Eastern Panhandle. ... Opequon Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River. ... Burnside Bridge traversing Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland, site of heavy combat during the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) on September 17, 1862 Antietam Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the United States. ... This article is about the river in Virginia in the United States. ... The North Fork Shenandoah River is one of two forks, along with the South Fork, that unite to form the Shenandoah River in northwestern Virginia in the United States. ... The South Fork Shenandoah River is one of two forks that unite to form the Shenandoah River in northwestern Virginia in the United States. ... The Monocacy River is a free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. ... Jump to: navigation, search Catoctin Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River located in Loudoun County, Virginia, USA. The Catoctin Creeks watershed occupies 59,000 acres. ... Jump to: navigation, search Seneca Creek, looking upstream from Berryville Road The Aqueduct at Rileys Lock Seneca Creek is located in Montgomery County, Maryland roughly sixteen miles to the northwest of Washington, D.C. The creek begins in multiple areas of Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Boyds, the two main tributaries... Rock Creek is also the name of several cities in the United States: Rock Creek, Alabama, Rock Creek, Minnesota, Rock Creek, Ohio, and Rock Creek, Wisconsin. ... Sligo Creek is a free-flowing tributary of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, which feeds into the Potomac River and eventually emptys into the Atlantic Ocean via Chesapeake Bay. ... The Occoquan River flows into the Potomac River at Belmont Bay, and is located in Northern Virginia, along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Bull Run stream originates from a spring in the Bull Run Mountains in Loudoun County and flows south to the Occoquan River. ... Neabsco Creek is a tributary of the lower tidal segment of the Potomac River located in eastern Prince William County, Virginia. ... Quantico Creek is a tidal tributary of the Potomac River located in eastern Prince William County, Virginia. ... Aquia Creek is a tributary of the tidal segment of the Potomac River located in Northern Virginia. ... Port Tobacco Historic District One of the oldest communities on the East Coast, Port Tobacco first existed as the Indian settlement of Potopaco and was colonized by the English as early as 1634. ... The Wicomico River is a tributary of the lower tidal portion of the Potomac River located in the state of Maryland south of Washington, DC. The river empties into the Potomac at Cobb and St. ... The St. ... The Yeocomico River is a small tributary of the southern tidal portion of the Potomac River in Virginias Northern Neck. ...

Dependent states
Maryland | Pennsylvania | Virginia | West Virginia

  Results from FactBites:
 
NRDC: Cleaning Up the Anacostia River (1855 words)
Although the eight-mile-long Anacostia River is surrounded by parkland, it is severely polluted by sediment, nutrients, pathogens, toxins and trash.
Between 75 percent and 90 percent of the Anacostia's pollution is caused by stormwater runoff, a problem closely tied to sprawl and overdevelopment throughout the watershed.
Anacostia advocates are also pressing the federal government to acknowledge the important role it must play in addressing combined sewer overflows in the nation's capital.
Anacostia River. The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000 (179 words)
Anacostia River (an-uh-CAHS-tee-uh), c.12 mi/19 km long, in central Md. and Wash., D.C., is formed by Sligo Creek, flowing into Northeast Branch, which converge at Hyattsville, Md. It flows SW, past Bladensburg, Cottage City, and Colmar Manor, Md., and through S part of Wash., D.C., to the Potomac.
Arboretum, Anacostia River Park, and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens form part of the E bank within the D.C. boundaries.
The river also borders Kingman L. and flows near Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Stadium in Wash., D.C. The Whitney Young and Sousa bridges cross the river, and in Wash., D.C., a naval air station, a naval receiving station, and a naval yard are named after it.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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