It bans swimming – except for certain types of special events approved in advance – but that doesn’t help the person who is out at the river and really wants to take a dip, or a paddleboarder who falls in, or a kayaker who rolls or turns over unintentionally. A small town feel with lots of changes to come. There is a current DISTRICT-WIDE SWIM BAN so even if a site is “green” or considered passing, do NOT swim there. The Anacostia River is designated as a Class A waterway, which means primary contact, however the DC Department of Health (DOH) bans swimming in the Anacostia due to sewage overflows. You'd have to take a bus to the Anacostia metro. Always obey signs at the beach or advisories from official government agencies. They passed a law making swimming or wading in the Potomac, Anacostia or Rock Creek punishable by a $300 fine or 10 days in jail. Download the Feasibility Study here (PDF, 9.5mb). Yes. Anacostia Riverkeeper, Inc. updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. FENSTON: Congress set a goal in 1972 to make it safe to swim or fish in any river or lake in the nation. The main water quality parameter reported is E. coli, a fecal coliform. “It’s still illegal to swim in any body of water in DC,” Sherard says, “but if it had been legal, there were days it would have been safe to swim in the Anacostia this summer.” Illustration by Jason Schneider Back to Top The river is getting better but it is not always safe to swim, and the sediment can currently pose a risk to waders. Each site will be sampled for bacteria, water temperature, air temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and turbidity. Please report your pollution concerns so Affiliates can help keep other beach-goers safe. In 2018, the Anacostia River received its first passing grade from the Anacostia Watershed Society, and based on regular water quality monitoring by the Anacostia Riverkeeper in 2019, the river is safe for swimming on certain days (but not all the time). And in Rock Creek we will reduce up to 96% of them by 2030." To keep it free, we depend on donations from people like you. Despite its reputation, the water of the Anacostia River is becoming cleaner. The original “swimmable and fishable” goal was set by the Clean Water Act in 1972: by 1983 all U.S. waters were supposed to be safe for swimming and fishing. And water quality is getting better. Anacostia Riverkeeper will test the river every Wednesday, she … Red means the beach’s most recent test results failed to meet water quality standards. At one point, Washington, D.C. residents and tourists alike only viewed the Southeast neighborhood, Anacostia, as a place filled with crime. But many who work closely with the Anacostia and Potomac waterways say the day is coming where they’ll be safe to swim in. Samples recording less than 126 MPN E. coli /100ml are therefore considered "green", having met water quality standards set by the District for the geometric mean. The Anacostia River is designated as a Class A waterway, which means primary contact, however the DC Department of Health (DOH) bans swimming in the Anacostia due to sewage overflows. water quality monitoring by the Anacostia Riverkeeper, Anacostia Watershed Society State of the River Report Card, Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Fund (DC’s Bag Tax). Swim Guide is a free service that helps to connect millions of people just like you with local beaches and swimming holes. And water quality is getting better. Sewage overflows are now one of the last big obstacles to getting there. Grey means water quality information for the beach is too old (more than 7 days old) to be considered current, or that info is unavailable, or unreliable. The feasibility study answered some of our big initial questions about swimming in the river, but there are more questions to be answered. We may manually set the status for a specific beach if we have concerns about the sampling protocol, if there is an emergency, if monitoring practices don't exist or have recently changed, or other reasons that render this site "special.". Check out the Washington Post's interactive mapto view the deadly hazards that lurk in these waters. We are investigating 9 different locations where the Anacostia River Pool could be located. Testing will occur monthly at 22 sites along the Anacostia River, Rock Creek, and Potomac River starting in May 2020 for bacteria, water temperature, air temperature, pH, and turbidity. PLEASE NOTE: Although water quality in the Anacostia River is improving, it is currently prohibited to swim in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers and Rock Creek in the District of Columbia. By 2023, expect a 98% reduction. Join the Swim Guide community today. We report single sample values but refer to the geometric mean bacteria cutoff to be more conservative and protective of recreational health. This site is right by Lane Manor Community Park and Recreational Center. We are talking about swimming now, even though the river isn’t yet fully restored, because we want to make sure that planning efforts around the river incorporate the need for access to swimming. A “green” rating is demonstrative of the E. coli levels at one point in time. Like … Swimming is not an approved activity in the waters of the District of Columbia. The Anacostia River Pool initiative is preparing for those days. 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