U.S. Anacostia River

Washington school children get a boat ride on the Anacostia River with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell at the kickoff event for National Fishing and Boating Week. (Rosanne Skirble/VOA)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer Eric Lawton gives Makayla Gray her first fishing lesson on the Anacostia. (Rosanne Skirble/VOA)

The trash strewn riverfront is across the street from the Nationals Baseball Park and adjacent to the Washington Navy Yard.  It was named a hazardous waste site because of contamination. (Rosanne Skirble/VOA)

Volunteers do service projects to rebuild the wetland in the Anacostia River. (Anacostia Watershed Society)

Groundwork Anacostia River director Dennis Chestnut talks with Washington residents Trevon Brox and Antony Smith about jobs on the river. (Rosanne Skirble/VOA)

This watershed protection team services the litter traps on the Anacostia managed by Groundwork Anacostia River, DC. (Groundwork Anacostia River, DC)

While plastic bottles remain a major problem, a law that puts a fee on disposable bags has dramatically helped reduce the number of plastic bags in the river. (Groundwork Anacostia River DC)

The smokestacks from a closed power plant are a grim reminder of the toxic pollutants that flow into the river. (Groundwork Anacostia)

With renewed conservation efforts, wildlife is returning to the Anacostia. Boaters frequently see birds like this snowy egret. (Anacostia Watershed Society)

Sections of the Anacostia have become a paddler’s delight, like this scene near Bladensburg Park in Maryland. (Anacostia Watershed Society)