Anacostia River
| Anacostia River | |
|---|---|
Anacostia River adjacent to the United States National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. | |
Map of the Anacostia River watershed | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland and Washington, D.C. |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Bladensburg, Maryland |
| • coordinates | 38°56′33″N 76°56′38″W / 38.94250°N 76.94389°W |
| Mouth | Potomac River |
• location | Washington, D.C. |
• coordinates | 38°51′13″N 77°01′13″W / 38.85361°N 77.02028°W |
• elevation | −3 ft (−0.91 m) |
| Length | 8.4 mi (13.5 km) |
| Basin size | 176 sq mi (460 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | mouth |
| • average | 216.93 cu ft/s (6.143 m3/s) (estimate) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Northeast Branch |
| • right | Northwest Branch |
The Anacostia River /ænəˈkɒstiə/ is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel and ultimately empties into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is about 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long. The name "Anacostia" derives from the area's early history as Nacotchtank, a settlement of Necostan or Anacostan Native Americans on the banks of the Anacostia River.
Heavy pollution in the Anacostia and weak investment and development along its banks made it "D.C.'s forgotten river". More recently, however, private organizations; local businesses; and the D.C., Maryland, and federal governments have made efforts to reduce pollution and protect the ecologically valuable Anacostia watershed.