THE ANACOSTIA RIVER POOL A Feasibility Study for a Swimming Facility in the Anacostia River, Washington DC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ANACOSTIA WATERFRONT TRUST The Anacostia Waterfront Trust and Erin Garnaas-Holmes SmithGroup would like to thank the following Doug Siglin for their contributions to this project: Tammy Stidham, National Park Service SMITHGROUP Michael Commisso, National Park Service Merrill St. Leger Sven Shockey Kevin Clinton, Federal City Council Jason Stangland Dennis Chestnut, Groundwork Anacostia David Lantz Trey Sherard, Anacostia Riverkeeper DC DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Gretchen Mikeska SmithGroup would like to thank all of our colleagues who submitted river pool conceptual design ideas to inform this study. Anacostia River. Photo credit: Anacostia Waterfront Trust Cover: Anacostia River. Photo credit: E. Garnaas-Holmes CONTENTS 1. Introduction.................................................................5 2. Why Swimming?....................................................................7 3. Is This Really Possible?...........................................................9 4. Has This Been Done Before?.................................................15 5. What Could It Look Like?.......................................................21 6. Where Could It Go?...............................................................31 7. Conclusion.......................................................................77 8. References................................................................78 Anacostia River. Photo credit: M. St. Leger Anacostia River. Photo credit: M. St. Leger 1 INTRODUCTION SWIMMING IN THE ANACOSTIA with the Anacostia Waterfront Trust to analyze of ongoing initiatives are focused on restoring the All over the world, there is renewed attention to the feasibility, describe design considerations, and health of the Anacostia River. These include: the importance of water and to urban waterfronts examine potential locations for the creation of such • DC Clean Rivers Project (DC Water) as wonderful places for recreation, connection to a facility. • Anacostia River Sediment Project - DC nature, and economic development. Major cities Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) have embraced portions of their once forgotten or industrial waterfronts and created destinations to As part of celebrating • Kenilworth Landfill Remediation - National Park bring people closer to these natural resources. 2018 as the “Year of the Service (NPS) • Poplar Point Remediation DC Deputy Mayor for As a world-class city, Washington DC has also Anacostia”, the Anacostia Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) embraced its rivers as environmental, recreational and economic resources. The new Yards Park Waterfront Trust has • Washington Gas Remediation - National Park and Wharf developments are great examples of proposed a vision for Service (NPS) this renewed attention to waterfront urbanism. • PEPCO Benning Service Ctr. Cleanup (DOEE) Connecting people to the water creates a sense of creating a permanent pool • Washington Navy Yard Cleanup - Environmental attachment to the waterfront as a place, and fosters to provide residents and Protection Agency (EPA) stewardship of the environment and of aquatic resources. visitors the opportunity These initiatives, together, with ongoing monitoring of river conditions by both government agencies and Among the many ways that international cities to swim in the citizen efforts will make it possible to swim in the have brought residents and visitors to their Anacostia River in the foreseeable future. waterfronts is through the creation of river pools Anacostia River. - facilities that provide the opportunity for people NEXT STEPS to swim in their rivers. As part of celebrating RIVER ENVIRONMENT This study serves as a launching point for the 2018 as the “Year of the Anacostia”, the Anacostia Over the last 30 years, the Anacostia River has initiative to create a facility to enable swimming Waterfront Trust has proposed a vision for creating been transforming into a world-class waterfront. in the Anacostia River. The information contained a permanent pool to provide residents and visitors The river was neglected and polluted for many in this report will serve as background for a future the opportunity to swim in the Anacostia River. decades due to industrial waste, agricultural runoff, process that will engage nearby residents and and overflow sewage. However, in recent years, potential users in envisioning the type of facility SmithGroup’s urban designers, architects, the Anacostia River has significantly recovered and they want, the characteristics and elements, at the landscape architects, and engineers collaborated increasingly attracts both DC residents and visitors appropriate location to best serve the community. from all over the region and world. A number A Feasibility Study for a Swimming Facility in the Anacostia River 5 Introduction drowned in the river, which is why our parents through mid-1960s by the people who lived warned us to stay out of the river.” in the communities that bordered the river on both sides. But the Anacostia River also divided Once Public Accommodations laws were passed the city in many other ways, especially racially to desegregate pools, Dennis and his friends and economically.” went to the pool in Anacostia Park: “I leaped at the chance to go to a regulation size pool with Dennis Chestnut is a civic ecologist and two diving boards, a high dive and a low diving environmental conservationist, and a lifetime board. Once at the pool we were surprised to resident of Ward 7 in Washington, DC. He has see the white kids get out of the pool when been working to restore the health of the we got in, but didn’t mind because it meant Anacostia River because, as he explains, SWIMMING IN THE ANACOSTIA RIVER more jumps off the diving boards with no lines. “The quality of life for all of the residents and Our return trip home was not so pleasant. citizens who live, work, play, and pray in the Growing up in a neighborhood close to the We had to travel back through the all-white communities that border the Anacostia River Anacostia River in the 1950s and ‘60s, Dennis neighborhoods near Fort Dupont Park, where is directly impacted by the condition of the Chestnut recalls that during segregation, on hot we were assaulted with rocks and bottles by natural environment…The condition of the summer days there were only a few swimming some of the kids who lived there.” river will not improve until the condition of the pools in the city that he and his friends could go people in those communities improves.” to, and none on his side of town: “Although we had to Dennis strongly supports the creation of areas “My friends and I decided to go to our local navigate our way through the along the Anacostia River where people can “swimming hole” in Watts Branch and our Kenilworth landfill to get to swim, including swimming platforms and other “beach” on the eastern branch of the Anacostia the river to swim, we felt that supporting amenities for fishing, recreation, and River. Although we had to navigate our way it was well worth it. We felt boating. He lauds the efforts of DC Water and through the Kenilworth landfill to get to the the DC Department of Energy and Environment river to swim, we felt that it was well worth it. that it was our local beach!” to clean up the river, the improvements to We felt that it was our local beach! We felt very adjoining parklands by the National Park free, as children should feel. We played in the Dennis usually gets surprised reactions when Service and the District Government, and river and at the dump until we were discovered. he tells people that he learned to swim in the new waterfront mixed-use development in We would leave the same way we came in, Anacostia River. He reminds them that when Southeast and Southwest DC: “It is no longer through the streambed of Watts Branch. I was John Smith first navigated the river, it was lush the “Forgotten River,” but now has a noteworthy fortunate that I was able to learn to swim in and abundant with wildlife, with fish literally designation with 2018 being declared “The the river and make it home safely. That was jumping out of the water. Water quality in the Year of the Anacostia” by the Mayor and City not the case for some youth, especially those Anacostia gradually degraded from the 1930s Council and the National Park Service. This who lived in the Langston and Carver Terrace to the present as a result of industrial activities, is truly honorable, but if the health of the neighborhoods. Some were not so fortunate runoff from agriculture and development, and Anacostia River is not restored to a fishable and and drowned in the river, mainly on the western the combined sewer system. But the Anacostia swimmable status now for present and future side where the river was deeper and where River had other uses: “The river was used for generations to enjoy, Shame On Us All!” undercurrents were more prevalent. People swimming, fishing, boating, and baptisms 2 WHY SWIMMING? SWIMMING IS A POPULAR ACTIVITY been made for safe river swimming, how often to swim, but especially African American youth. Swimming is a popular activity in the District of would you swim in the river?”, the majority of The PlayDC Vision document needs assessment Columbia. According to the 2014 Play DC Vision respondents answered that they would swim once a identified adult and youth learn-to-swim as “top Framework, week for 1 hour, followed by once a day for 1 hour. priority facilities or programs” for the District. It “On a hot, humid DC day, few things can beat also targets increases in the number of pools and jumping into the cool water of a swimming In response to a question about how they would aquatic program offerings for all residents. pool or splash pad. Compared to its peer cities, want to access the river for swimming, most DC has one of the most aquatics facilities respondents said through a dock or beach, followed AN ACT OF SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE by in a river pool. In response to a question per capita in the country.