---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Christopher E. Williams, AWS President <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2022 at 1:57 PM
Subject: 2022 State of the River Report Card
To: <deanwooddca@xxxxxxxxx>
Acknowledging a small step back in the overall progress of the river, the
Anacostia Watershed Society’s water quality monitors gave the Anacostia
River a failing grade on the 2022 State of the River Report Card.
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T2d367a69-3883-4228-92ec-3e8241b6ce95/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
The
river's second failing grade since 2018 brings the river's record to three
passing scores in the last five years.
A precipitous drop in acreage of underwater grasses or SAV (submerged
aquatic vegetation) and sluggish improvements in other key indicators
combined to fall short of a passing grade. It’s likely that early spring
rains and the resulting excess turbidity of the Anacostia River's waters at
just the wrong time severely impacted the river’s underwater grasses. Such
changing rainfall patterns could be an adverse effect of climate change, an
emerging threat to the watershed that the Anacostia Watershed Society is
closely monitoring.
Though this setback is a disappointment, I’m confident that we are still on
track for a cleaner, healthier Anacostia River in 2025 and beyond.
Ambitious initiatives are under way to mitigate, sewage, toxics, and trash
in the river, following through on strong commitments by district, state,
and county governments to a restored Anacostia River.
2022 Report Card Highlights
- The Anacostia River received a failing grade for the second time in
five years with a score of 55%, an 8-point drop from last year's score.
- Toxics Remediation, one of the scorecard’s qualitative
measures, received its second passing score thanks to progress on the
Anacostia Sediment Project.
- Though this year's failing grade is a setback, long-term trends going
back 30 years still point to slowly and steadily improving water quality
and ecosystem health. In our assessment, the goal of swimmable and fishable
by 2025 remains within reach.
- River Otters have re-established themselves here in the Anacostia
River, with sightings throughout the watershed, indicating the return of a
healthy aquatic ecosystem.
- *The freshwater mussel bed at Buzzard Point continues to impress!
<https://default.salsalabs.org/Tce42ef46-ae1e-458b-9965-22672694bc32/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>*
The spot where we first discovered the thriving mussel population on the
river remains a productive habitat for these filter-feeding critters.
- And this just in: *A new mussel bed was found at Joint Base
Anacostia-Bolling
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T4d45a26b-0e25-43a2-98e2-b2bbb8236cc4/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>*
on
June 22! This spot at the mouth of the river was found to have an abundance
of mussels at a site not normally accessible by the general public.
Read the full report here.
<https://default.salsalabs.org/Tdec2981f-95b3-4613-bb1e-2809c33b505e/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
On behalf of the Anacostia Watershed Society, I would like to thank the
following organizations for technical assistance and/or funding for this
report card:
- The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T7d6e7a3c-c49a-456a-b9be-57052a0c4a46/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
- Mid Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T7cd58002-c48a-4533-a8b9-2c0c09fb365f/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
- District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE)
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T06359820-e07a-4d2b-9a46-18dc0e22192b/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
- American Chemical Society
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T01a08e9a-d176-4965-a829-582dcd548a78/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
- Prince Charitable Trusts
I also want to thank all of our supporters and volunteers whose passion and
persistence fuels the Anacostia Watershed Society and our work.
Together for the River,
Christopher E. Williams, Anacostia Watershed Society President
calendar
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T4a0d7d60-a67c-458a-9ec5-fc442717847d/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
donate
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T6f6eeefb-7aca-4d55-aa2e-98ec8ffcc85c/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
our work
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T79a2e5aa-029f-4be4-8b30-6fd052cdfa0f/308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
*Anacostia Watershed Society*
4302 Baltimore Avenue | Bladensburg, Maryland 20710
(301) 699-6204 | info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<https://www.facebook.com/anacostiaws/>
<https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=anacostiaws>
<https://www.instagram.com/anacostiaws/>
Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser
<https://anacostiaws.salsalabs.org/2022sotr?wvpId=308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
Unsubscribe
<https://anacostiaws.salsalabs.org/manage-your-subscription?eId=fe529e6e-5b2d-48ff-994a-9782da658e34&eType=EmailBlastContent&sId=308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
or Manage Your Preferences
<https://anacostiaws.salsalabs.org/manage-your-subscription?eId=fe529e6e-5b2d-48ff-994a-9782da658e34&eType=EmailBlastContent&sId=308c3613-13ee-42ea-ad63-9ce1fbfd728a>
--
*Visit us online at: www.deanwoodcitizens.org
<http://www.deanwoodcitizens.org>*
*Become a member: https://www.deanwoodcitizens.org/join-now
<https://www.deanwoodcitizens.org/join-now>*
*Join our email list: //www.freelists.org/list/deanwoodcitizens
<//www.freelists.org/list/deanwoodcitizens>*
