History
and Culture of the Anacostia
River Watershed
The
400 square kilometer Anacostia watershed exhibits ecological and
physical diversity. The watershed extends into two physiographic
provinces and three political jurisdictions. Roughly mirroring
the boundary between Montgomery and Prince George's County, Maryland,
the fall line delineates the surface contact between the Piedmont
and Coastal Plain provinces. There are three major drainage areas
in the watershed: the Northwest Branch, the Northeast Branch,
and the tidal drainage. The tidal portion of the Anacostia converges
with the Potomac River near the southern tip of the District of
Columbia. Along the course of the river, a number of small Coastal
Plain streams contribute directly to the tidal river, although
most of these streams are now enclosed in storm sewer drainage
systems.
For
a more detailed description of the watershed, including information
on the watersheds' forested areas, hydrology,
and landuse, please see our section
on the natural history of the watershed.
The
Anacostia watershed encompasses 456 square kilometers (176 sq.
mi) within suburban Maryland and the District of Columbia. The
Anacostia watershed is one of the most densely populated watersheds
within the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin. The watershed today
is known to be a degraded urban ecosystem but was once heralded
as a thriving natural and commerical resource in it's earlier
history. The watershed has undergone many changes
through the years, mainly due to the influence of urbanization
on the ecosystem. Although the once pristine watershed reflects
a system that has suffered from years of environmental neglect
and urbanization, major restoration efforts since 1987 are beginning
to improve conditions.
Early
History of the Watershed
The
Anacostia watershed was a thriving center of Indian culture set
amidst the Piedmont and Coastal Plain provinces in the early 17th
century, the time of European contact. The Nanchotank (Nacotchtank)
Indians, a semiagricultural tribe, lived at the confluence of
the Potomac and Anacostia rivers in what is now Washington, DC.
Containing healthy populations of American and hickory shad, white
and yellow perch, red-breasted sunfish, catfish, and herring,
the fishery of the Anacostia River provided the Nanchotank Indians
and others living in the surrounding region with a seemingl y
limitless food source. Lush forests and abundant wildlife complemented
the crystal clear river that flowed into the Potomac River and
ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.
Nearly
400 years have passed since the first European explorer--Captain
John Smith--visited the Anacostia basin while surveying navigable
waters of the Potomac region in 1608. A map drafted by Smith four
years later charts the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River,
and Eastern Branch (what is known today as the Anacostia River).
Captain Smith's visit to the region opened the door for European
settlement along the Anacostia River and led to the changes in
land use that have dramatically altered the watershed. Characterized
by successive waves of cultivation and urbanization, these changes
have left little that resembles this once highly productive ecosystem.
Historical
Changes
Centuries
of development have dramatically altered the character of the
Anacostia watershed. Since 1608, the year the first European explorer
reached Anacostia basin, successive waves of cultivation and urbanization
have transformed the Anacostia watershed from a basin covered
with dense hardwood forest, abundant wildlife, and streams filled
with fish to a busy metropolitan area with more than 800,000 residents.
Agriculture,
The First Wave of Change
From the time of the first European settlement to the Civil War,
the forested Anacostia watershed was progressively cleared for
agriculture. Tobacco, corn and cotton farming dominated the land
use in the Anacostia watershed; these crops were loaded onto vessels
in Bladensburg, the primary seaport for Washington, and shipped
to England. Most of the watershed was reportedly brought under
cultivation by 1860 (Williams, 1942). City of Washington from
the Navy Yard, about 1822, by George Cook Library of Congress
Collection This initial wave of change led to increasing sedimentation
of the Anacostia River. Soil eroding from upland agricultural
fields was transported downstream to the tidal river, rendering
the thriving port of Bladensburg useless by 1850 (Kumble, 1990).
Th is accelerated sedimentation continued through the latter half
of the century, resulting in the formation of extensive mud-flats
along the banks of the tidal river. Both Colonel Hain's 1890 study
and Colonel Allen's Plan of 1898 called for dredging a cha nnel
and "reclaiming" the mud-flats. In 1902, Congress approved funding
for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge portions of the
tidal Anacostia up to the Anacostia Navy Yard, as well as a smaller
channel upstream to the District line (Gordan, 1987 ).
Urbanization,
The Second Wave of Change
Since the late nineteenth century, ecological problems in the
Anacostia watershed have largely resulted from an expanding human
population and the associated changes in land use and land cover.
The ongoing loss of forest and wetland habitat, alteration of
streamflow, increases in nonpoint source pollution, and discharges
of combined sewer overflow and industrial waste have all contributed
to the decline in the ecological health of the watershed. These
shifts in land use patterns over the last three centuries have
drastically changed the ecology of the watershed. Over time, much
of the beauty and diversity of the Anacostia watershed has vanished
without widespread awareness of the loss. The twin waves of agriculture
and urban development have left a severely degraded system that
has only recently begun to show signs of improvement due to extensive
and ongoing restoration efforts.
