Watts Branch (Anacostia River)
Encyclopedia
Watts Branch is a tributary
stream of the Anacostia River
in Prince George's County
, Maryland
, and Washington, D.C.
The headwaters of the stream originate in the Capitol Heights
area of Prince George's County, and the branch flows roughly
northwest for 4.9 miles (7.9 km) to the Anacostia, which drains to the Potomac River
and the Chesapeake Bay
. The watershed
area of Watts Branch is about 6000 acres (24.3 km²) in Prince George's County and 5500 acres (22.3 km²) in Washington.
Watts Branch is in a highly urbanized
area, and its water quality
has been rated as poor by government agencies. The stream has suffered from urban runoff
(stormwater
) pollution
, including trash dumped by residents and businesses and leaking sewer
pipes. Much of the stream is in concrete
channels or culvert
s. A variety of stream cleanup and restoration projects have been initiated by D.C. government, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies, in cooperation with community organizations such as the Anacostia Watershed Society and the Watts Branch Community Alliance.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
stream of the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
in Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The headwaters of the stream originate in the Capitol Heights
Capitol Heights, Maryland
Capitol Heights is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,138 at the 2000 census. Development around the Capitol Heights Metro station has medical facilities and eateries to support the community...
area of Prince George's County, and the branch flows roughly
northwest for 4.9 miles (7.9 km) to the Anacostia, which drains to the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. The watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
area of Watts Branch is about 6000 acres (24.3 km²) in Prince George's County and 5500 acres (22.3 km²) in Washington.
Watts Branch is in a highly urbanized
Urbanized
Urbanized is a 2011 documentary film by Gary Hustwit released on 26 October 2011 and considered the third of a three-part series on design known as the Design Trilogy, the first being Helvetica about the typeface and the second being Objectified about industrial design.The documentary discusses...
area, and its water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
has been rated as poor by government agencies. The stream has suffered from urban runoff
Urban runoff
Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater created by urbanization. This runoff is a major source of water pollution in many parts of the United States and other urban communities worldwide.-Overview:...
(stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
) pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
, including trash dumped by residents and businesses and leaking sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
pipes. Much of the stream is in concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
channels or culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s. A variety of stream cleanup and restoration projects have been initiated by D.C. government, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies, in cooperation with community organizations such as the Anacostia Watershed Society and the Watts Branch Community Alliance.
See also
- Anacostia RiverAnacostia RiverThe Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
- Watts Branch (Potomac River)Watts Branch (Potomac River)Watts Branch is a tributary stream of the Potomac River in Montgomery County, Maryland. The headwaters of the stream originate in the city of Rockville, and the branch flows southwest for , under the C&O Canal near Swain's Lock, to the Potomac River, which drains to the Chesapeake Bay...
- List of District of Columbia rivers
- List of Maryland rivers
External links
- Anacostia Watershed Society
- Anacostia Watershed Network
- Watts Branch Park Photo Gallery Washington Parks & People - Community Park Partnership