Two rivers straddle downtown Washington, D.C., the Anacostia and Potomac. Just south of the Nationals Park the Anacostia joins the Potomac, and if you follow the river to the southeast you’ll reach the Chesapeake Bay and eventually the Atlantic Ocean, a two hundred mile journey.
By David Hume
These two rivers are the major waterways for the region. During the 18th and early-20th centuries they used to move cargo ships, connecting merchants with buyers in ports farther afield. Few cargo vessels ply these waters today, but they still play a large role in transportation, not just for people, but also for more malignant items like plastic trash.
The environmental effects of ocean plastic are gaining international attention. For many, when they first learn of the problem they point to the accumulation of plastics in ocean gyres far offshore, most notably the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as the most obvious focal point for cleanup efforts. However, once plastic has reached the ocean it has already started to diffuse and break down into deadly microplastics, making it incredibly difficult to collect at any impactful scale.
All ocean plastic originates from somewhere on land and makes its way out to sea via rivers, marshes, and other watersheds. It is said that ten rivers are responsible for 90% of the plastic found in the ocean (the Anacostia is not one of them). If we truly want to tackle the problem of ocean plastic, it is only logical that we focus our cleanup efforts not far out at sea, but upstream: in our rivers and onshore in our waterfront towns and cities.
The Anacostia River serves as good case study for the benefits of cleaning our waterways (if any were actually needed). The river was once deemed to be one of the most polluted rivers in the U.S. Today, it is on the road to recovery. Wildlife is returning, aquatic plants are making a come-back, and the water clarity is improving. People are also returning to the river, leading to new economic opportunities in tourism, food and beverage, and real estate. The new riverfront community in Southwest D.C. is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the city for example. The water is still not safe for people to swim in, but that day is not so far away.
This recovery is due largely to numerous policies and programs, such as a plastic bag tax, a ban on expanded polystyrene foam for food containers, reducing sewage outflow, local cleanups, and many other efforts orchestrated through the D.C. government or local nonprofits. It was not one single group, policy, or law that brought about this change, but each provided incremental improvements that in aggregate have made a significant impact.
The Potomac, which the Anacostia flows into, has benefitted as well. Having spent more than twenty years on the Potomac, I’ve seen a reduction in floating trash first hand. We now even have several Bald Eagles nesting along a stretch of the river where there were none before, much to the resident Ospreys’ annoyance. In fact, a local nonprofit that assesses river health awarded the Potomac its highest grade yet this past year, a ‘B’.
We still have a way’s to go however. This picture (left) shows the plastic litter collected by my brother and I during a 30-minute stand-up paddleboard session on the Potomac River just south of D.C. in mid-June a day after a thunderstorm. Due to the previous day’s rain there was slightly more debris in the water than usual, but only just. D.C. may be two hundred miles from the Atlantic, but this plastic would eventually have found its way there; surely much more than is shown here has and does.
The problem of ocean plastic is not far at sea, but on shore and in our watersheds. The Anacostia serves as an example of the environmental and economic benefits that can be realized through local policy changes, and the downstream impact that is possible. Let us not forget that clean rivers mean a healthy ocean.
David is a life-long ocean lover and frequent contributor to SEVENSEAS Media. His writing has also been featured on Axios News, The Maritime Executive, the MIT Energy Club, and the Ocean Exchange. He holds a BS in Marine Engineering Systems from the US Merchant Marine Academy, an MS in mechanical engineering from the MIT School of Engineering, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management with a focus on energy and sustainability. He is a U.S.C.G licensed marine engineer and a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserves. He currently resides in Washington, DC with his wife and their pet fish Iquid.
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This piece was edited and posted onto SEVENSEAS Media by Giacomo Abrusci