Anacostia River: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Anacostia River is a river that flows about 8.4 mi from Prince George's County in Maryland, to cut through from east to south in Washington, DC, where it empties into the Potomac River. The Anacostia River was originally known simply as "the Eastern Branch."

Heavy pollution in the Anacostia and weak investment and development along its banks have led to it becoming what many have called "DC's forgotten river." In recent years, however, the District and Maryland have made joint efforts to reduce its pollution levels in order to protect the ecologically valuable Anacostia watershed.

The watershed of the river roughly covers 176 mi² in Eastern Montgomery County and Northern Prince George's County, as well as parts of Washington, DC. Tributaries of the Anacostia include Northwest Branch and Northeast Branch, the confluence of which just above Bladensburg forms the main stem of the river; Sligo Creek, Paint Branch, Little Paint Branch, Indian Creek, Beaverdam Creek, and Brier Ditch flow into these two tributaries while Lower Beaverdam Creek, Hickory Run, and Watts Branch flow directly into the river.