A $1.7 billion plan to restore the Anacostia River and watershed over the next 10 years was announced Monday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and other public officials.
The plan, which took two years and $2.8 million to formulate, includes more than 3,000 projects to reduce the garbage, sewage and runoff that have plagued the river. Strategies to be implemented include stormwater controls, stream restoration, wetland creation, fish blockage removal, reforestation, trash and contamination control and parkland acquisition.
“Today, we are taking a giant step toward a new life for the Anacostia River and watershed,” O’Malley said. “When plan implementation is complete, a healthier and cleaner river will mean continued economic investment along its banks and throughout the Anacostia River watershed.”
The Anacostia runs more than eight miles from Prince George’s County, through Washington and dumps into the Potomac River. Creators of the restoration plan hope it will not only lead to better water quality on the river, but also save money by reducing flooding, decreasing infrastructure repairs from stormwater damage, and reducing energy use by bringing more shade trees to the area.
Supporters also predict that the plan will create “green” construction jobs in the area and provide residents who live near the river with more recreational activities and a greater sense of community.
“I look forward to seeing this community benefit from what will result from this plan — cleaner water, green jobs for local contractors, and better recreational opportunities for hiking and boating,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
It is still unclear, however, where the $1.7 billion will come from to carry out the projects and how long it will take before residents begin seeing their effect. While some of the proposals are already being built into Maryland capital improvement plans, a great deal of the projects have no funding whatsoever, according to the plan’s executive director, Dana Minerva.
Minerva said that the proposals were drafted, “so we could show that we have a good plan that would make the best use of any funding that we received.”
O’Malley’s $50 million request for federal funding authorization is one potential source of project capital. In addition, the District will also be using city funding to implement some parts of the plan.
But Minerva acknowledged that it would be difficult to secure financing for all of the projects and get them completed in just 10 years. “It’s going to be tough to get it done,” she said.
» Go online to www.anacostia.net/plan.html
