Northern Anacostia – A Scenic Urban River

High Tide - cormorants sit atop fallen tree lodged on river bottom at confluence of Watts Branch and the Anacostia (Looking up-river to NPS proposed site of Arboretum Bridge at Kenilworth Park)

Victories for the Anacostia • Dump capped - Kenilworth Park designated • Creation of Bladensburg Waterfront Park • Demolition of PEPCO Power Plant • Creation of wetlands at ANA 11 • Construction of ARWT • Completion of Clean Rivers Project • Establishment of Kingman Island State Park

USACE MAP 1985 Dump and landfill at “Kenilworth Park” (prior to decommissioning)

Location of NPS proposed crossing Construction of Bladensburg Waterfront Park and Marina Constructed wetland – ANA 11 2014 Kenilworth Reach after decommissioning of Dump and PEPCO Plant

Mayor Bowser Announces $4.7 Million Investment in Kingman and Heritage Islands • ANACOSTIA RIVER - 11 existing bridges • POTOMAC RIVER - 6 existing bridges CSX Bridge after large rain event

Bridges form barriers - Anacostia Preserve Greenway Port trail connection Towns Kenilworth Corridor Corridor needed

Kenilworth Corridor

Kingman Corridor

trail connection Upper Anacostia Natural Areas needed Prince George’s County and the District of Columbia Upper Anacostia – the most beautiful and naturalistic reaches of the Anacostia – should be preserved, protected, and restored. RIVER FIRST. NORTHERN ANACOSTIA NATURAL AREAS recreation complimentary to restoration, conservation of natural quality • Kingman and Heritage Island • Watts Branch • Hickey Run • US National Arboretum • Langston Golf Course • Kenilworth Park • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens • Anacostia Tributaries • Colmar Manor Park • Bladensburg Waterfront Park Anacostia Tributary Trail Pedestrian Bridge • clear span from Bladensburg Waterfront Park to Colmar Manor Bladensburg Waterfront Park (only boat rental north of the CSX Bridge) ready for swimable ….and fishable boatable Sandbar south of Benning Road

Not walkable the river connects ANACOSTIA RIVER: AN URBAN ESTUARY Land use and recreation • PROHIBIT incompatible uses • PRIORITIZE river dependent recreational facilities • INCORPORATE resiliency and restoration in every project PROPOSAL CONFLICTS

ECOLOGICAL SCHEDULE – lack of coordination • Watershed Implementation Plan III: all controls in place by 2025 RESTORATION • Mandated Remediation Projects: o Anacostia Sediments Remediation Project (ASRP) AREA o CERCLA (NPS potentially responsible party) o Natural Resource Damage Assessment o DC Code Section 2-1226.38 (provide wetland, buffer, and tree planting) • Design and Programing of Kenilworth Park • Water Depth Projects • Projects and Planning for Kingman Island DESIGN • Hazards: location of piers in channel is dangerous • Travel: insufficient depth - design eliminates southbound lanes • Planning up-date. “Turning the Tide” a new vision for the Anacostia LOCATION • Disruption of natural area • Conflict with resiliency plans • Conflict with restoration of Urban Estuary • Reduces opportunity for water dependent activities • New York Ave Trail Project more useful – in planning by B-TAG and CTC • Potential negative impacts to Kingman Island INADEQUATE OUTREACH • Omitted stakeholders o Bladensburg Waterfront Park: 7000 pontoon boat passengers per year PRESERVE HABITAT and o Port Towns o Environmental Community NATURAL QUALITY o Boating community o Anglers and swimmers https://www.anacostiatrust.org/anacostia-trust/2017/10/19/notes-from-the-anacostia- ambassador-the-year-of-the-anacostia-turning-the-tide

Anacostia River Parks Target Area Plan & Riverwalk Design Guidelines, Washington, DC Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC, Philadelphia, PA Client: District of Columbia Office of Planning https://www.asla.org/awards/2004/04winners/entry617.html

This project is the keystone of the vision for turning the Anacostia River from its current condition as the capital region's most underutilized resource into a new, vibrant waterfront for Washington, DC. The goal of this plan is to provide places for people to meet, relax, encounter nature and experience the heritage of the waterfront neighborhoods. Another consideration is the extension of social and economic equality—an effort to ensure that benefits derived from a revitalized waterfront are shared by those in surrounding neighborhoods for whom the river has nevertheless been distant because of its lack of utility.

RESTORATION opportunities

• Re-create lost wetlands at Kenilworth site • Restore/reconnect flood plain • Continue stream restoration • Reconnect fragmented greenways • Create living shoreline

USACE MAP 1985 Connection of Achieving a Resilient Anacostia Anacostia Greenway Greenbelt Corridor • Create a thriving greenway – use public Riverdale land from CSX north to Bladensburg Corridor • Make restoration integral to recreation Port Towns Corridor and transportation

Kenilworth Corridor Kingman Corridor

Restoration Opportunities - Northern Anacostia Montgomery County, Prince George’s county, and the District of Columbia

•Tidal Tributaries, Northeast Branch, Main Stem south to CSX Achieving a Resilient Anacostia • grey infrastructure - destroys beauty, function and access to of waterways Achieving a Resilient Anacostia • Integrate transportation with ecological restoration Achieving a Resilient Anacostia • Integrate transportation with ecological restoration Achieving a Resilient Anacostia • Preserve stream bank • Accommodate boating facilities and other recreational activities New Pier at ANA 11

• reduced usable channel • unusable by most common craft on upper Anacostia • requires portage across wetlands • hazard for boaters Wetland damaged during trail construction • Missed opportunity for restoration • exacerbates damage Lower Beaverdam Creek with silt collar during construction of ARWT, (inset) after Construction of bridge across Lower Beaverdam Creek

Limits view, access, and opportunity for restoration work Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Tidal Gut Heavy handed design and siting of trail bridge Vibrant boating programs depend on safe and ample passage consequences of obstructions and narrow travel lanes In reality, the Anacostia has 11 existing Bridges, 3 of which exist north of the District line. 30% Design Presentation for Public Meetings Design fails to provide the intended benefits Scope does not connection east and west bank trail dead end both sides of bridge no route through or around Arboretum. No connection to east or west bank trails. Travel lanes do not provide sufficient depth

This is only lane 6 feet deep or greater at low tide

Additional area 6 feet deep or greater at high tide Travel lanes do not provide sufficient depth

Insufficient depth at high tide Insufficient depth at low tide

Over-scaled Visually and physically intrusive in natural area Benning Road Kenilworth Park North Site PREFERRED LOCATION PROPOSED LOCATION Obstructions • sand bars at Watts Branch and Hickey Run

Location of proposed bridge

Kingman Lake

Watts Branch Down Stream of Benning Road

Grouping bridges perferred - METRO and BENNING ROAD BRIDGES from north side - preferred location for trail bridges Exist clearing – location for proposed elevated trail over Anacostia River

approach to Benning Road at PEPCO Lagoon looking south

view east from Kingman Island to PEPCO Lagoon Existing approach from ARWT east side to Benning Road

replace awkward connection to sidewalks on Benning Road with separate trail bridge R Street Entrance ANACOSTIA RIVERWALK TRAIL CONNECTOR

PROPOSED FUTURE

PREFERRED

new trail bridge PREFERRED LOCATION ARW Trail crossing: Benning Road EXISTING ANACOSTIA RIVERWALK TRAIL - EAST

• Connects Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Additional crossing East and West Bank (in planning) Funded bike route • provides access to multiple (priority - on street) destinations • utilizes existing foot bridge at Langston Golf Course • clustered bridges enhance boater existing Foot Bridge PREFERRED CROSSING and Kingman Trail new trail bridge at Benning Rd safety and preserves river Connect east and west ARWT environment Connection to Arboretum • creates safe crossing for bikes/pedestrians Existing bike route (on street) existing trail existing trail West Bank East Bank NEW TRAIL/BRIDGE PREFERRED LOCATION EXISTING TRAIL EXISTING TRAIL East Bank West Bank

NEW CONNECTION existing KINGMAN TRAIL TO WEST TRAIL and FOOTBRIDGE

EXISTING BIKE ROUTE (on sidewalk) utilize existing foot bridge from Kingman to Langston

Priority: safe access to Langston Kingman Lake from existing foot bridge Priority: safe access to Kingman

separate bike and walking path next to Benning Road need access to Arboretum Bike and Pedestrian Entrance R Street and 24th, NE from New York Ave and Benning Road To Build in resiliency - Not a barrier

Thames Barrier Greenwich Peninsula, London Trails and Rivers can work together Confluence Park, Denver, CO.

Urban Waters Partnership – restoration and recreation COMMENTS: RIVER USER STAKEHOLDER

above: Gabe clears a tree trunk lodged on the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v sandbar at the “big turn” - Arboretum on left, =uGL3yrEWBI0 Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on right (east bank Gabe headed to work, just north of the East Capitol

of the Anacostia River). Street Bridge. Another stakeholder fishes beyond.