The Anacostia is the best river in the region. There, I said it. 

If your eyebrows are raised, or if you are scoffing audibly…just hang with me for a minute. 

Don’t get me wrong—we all know and have great love for the Potomac. But it’s the Anacostia’s time now. 
 
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors joined several other jurisdictions in passing resolutions recognizing 2018 as the #YearoftheAnacostia, also known by its unforgettable acronym, YOTA (Star Wars jokes welcome). YOTA is a campaign by the Anacostia Waterfront Trust, the National Park Service, the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership led by COG, and numerous private companies and community organizations to celebrate the 100th birthday of Anacostia Park, fathered by an act of Congress, and the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass. 

After decades of effort, including the opening of the DC Water tunnel and a mind-boggling amount of green infrastructure projects by the District of Columbia, and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, the Anacostia is cleaner than it has been in probably a century. 

COG’s Restoration Dashboard illustrates accomplishments in the watershed, such as improvements in health of the fish population. 

But the Anacostia is not an amazing river solely because of these milestones. It’s amazing because there are so many things to do around the watershed. 

Here is my current list of awesome things about the Anacostia: 

1. The river and its tributaries are accessible by EVERY metro line
2. Dozens of miles of waterfront running and cycling trails from the new Anacostia River Trail (ART)
3. The U.S. Arboretum
4. The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
5. Frederick Douglass’ house
6. Bald Eagles…lots of them
7. Turtles…lots of them
8. A bird that can swim (the Cormorant!)
9. Fishing (and yes, you can eat most of them)
10. The Wharf
11. A bunch of restaurants and breweries on the trail network
12. Approximately 4,000 picnic areas
13. Lake Artemesia
14. Stadiums
15. Kayak, canoe, and standup paddleboard rentals (Bladensburg, Wharf, Nationals Park, and more)
16. The 11th Street Bridge Park (coming soon)
17. Kingman Island 
18. Golfing
19. The Kingman Island Folk and Bluegrass Festival (A.K.A., Utopia)
20. The best kite flying location anywhere (Colmar Manor Ballfields)
21. A battlefield site (Bladensburg)
22. Major League Baseball All-Star Game (July 17!)
23. An outdoor roller rink (really!), and 
24. Most of the river and its trails are flanked by parks and forests, not highways! 

There was a reason that the Nacotchtank tribe settled along the river; it was a place to gather, worship, eat, trade, celebrate, and explore. Let’s get back to that. Let’s remember how amazing our river is. Let’s remember that it is worth saving. Let’s remember that this is a place where the region can come together. 

So, will you #ComeToTheRiver? Plan some outings to rediscover the best watershed in the region, and tell your friends about it. Get started at yearoftheanacostia.org. 

It’s my hope that our scoffing and stereotypes give way to fun and beautiful experiences this year, and into the future at the Anacostia.

MORE: 
Anacostia River water quality gets first passing report card grade
COG's Restoration Dashboard

Adam Ortiz is the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership Chairman and the Prince George's County Department of the Environment Director