The Washington, D.C. region has accomplished a major environmental victory, cleaning up the Anacostia River enough for humans to swim in for the first time in five decades.
On July 8, swimmers will enter the water of the Anacostia River legally and safely for the first time in 50 years for an event called Splash, organized by the nonprofit Anacostia Riverkeeper. While the river isn’t fully open to the public for swimming yet, the occasion is a major milestone on a decades-long effort to clean up the river by removing sewage and other pollutants from the watershed.
“Water entry became illegal in 1971 after water quality safety concerns were attributed to sewage overflow, organizers said. Since then, local advocacy groups have worked to restore the cleanup of the river,” reports Jonathan Taylor in a news article announcing the historic event and accomplishment. “In the 50 years, Anacostia Riverkeeper said the sewage bacteria has decreased by 80% in key recreation sites.”
Swimming is still illegal in the rest of the river and the rest of the year, but the Splash event could be another step toward the goal of completely reopening the river to swimmers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in December 2022 launched a study into whether the conditions of the Potomac River, and its tributary the Anacostia, allow for safe swimming.
Additional coverage of the Splash event is available from WUSA.
Previous Planetizen coverage of the Anacostia River cleanup effort:
FULL STORY: Dive into history! Anacostia River opens for swimming after 50 years of cleanup efforts
Want to Swim in the Potomac? Army Corps to Study the Possibility
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could soon study how to legalize swimming in the rivers around the nation’s capital—a scenario that would have seemed impossible in the not-too-distant past.
Coming Soon to D.C.: Rivers Clean Enough for Swimming
A tremendous open space and recreation addition could be on the horizon for residents of Washington, D.C., but there's still work to do in cleaning the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.
DC Park Aims for Equitable Development
Project leaders working on the 11th Street Bridge Park hope to prevent displacement of residents and bring economic and social benefits to the surrounding community.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.
Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.
Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions