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 / 38.94250; -76.94389
Mouth	Potomac River
• location	Washington, D.C.
• coordinates	38°51′13″N 77°01′13″W / 38.85361°N 77.02028°W / 38.85361; -77.02028
• elevation	−3 ft (−0.91 m)[1]
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)[2]
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.^[3] 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".^[4] 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.