The nonprofit organization Anacostia Riverkeeper is hosting an event called Splash, which will allow swimmers to venture into the Anacostia River for the first time in half a century. The event will take place on July 8 beneath the Benning Road Bridge, at Kingman Island. This initiative aims to celebrate the progress made in cleaning up the river.
Trey Sherard, the Anacostia Riverkeeper, expressed excitement about reaching this significant milestone toward making the Anacostia River suitable for swimming. He emphasized the impactful work that has been accomplished in the river's watershed.
In 1971, due to concerns about water quality and safety resulting from sewage overflow, entering the water became illegal. Since then, local advocacy groups have dedicated their efforts to restore and clean up the river. Although the Anacostia River still faces environmental challenges, its water quality has greatly improved over the past few decades. Suzy Kelly, the President of Riverkeeper, highlighted this progress and expressed optimism about the possibility of having a swimmable Anacostia River.
Anacostia Riverkeeper stated that the levels of sewage bacteria at key recreation sites have decreased by 80% in the span of 50 years. The D.C. Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring Program has been tracking this progress and has found that bacteria levels now meet recreational standards for the most part.
Despite swimming technically being illegal, an amendment to the swim ban in 2018 permits water activities during special sanctioned events like Splash. Those interested in swimming during the event will have a specific time slot between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to participate. Participants must be over 18 years old and have confidence in their swimming abilities. The event is free of charge and serves as a commemoration of the ongoing efforts to restore the Anacostia River.
Source: WJLA
Photo: Getty Images