Ecology

Existing Conditions

The River Corridor has enormous potential. The area boasts over 1,800 acres of parkland along the Anacostia River. By comparison, New York’s Central Park offers only 843 acres.[25] Boston’s Emerald Necklace sweeps in six linear miles around the city, compared to the Anacostia River Park’s nine-and-a-half mile circuit around both sides of the river. This waterfront includes more than 700 acres of water and wetlands, including the stunning Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.[26]

Flood modeling

Although it is a serious and escalating problem, there is no single authoritative mapping of flooding in the District. So we wanted to do our own exploratory analysis of the hydrology system in the area. We looked at where water tends to accumulate, the patterns for the direction of the flow of water, and combined this with soil drainage , slope and elevation to create a high-level flood risk model. Unsurprisingly, we see that areas closest to the river are most vulnerable to flooding but there are also pockets in the interior where risk is significant. For more information, refer to the Climate Resilience deep dive.

Identifying areas for new stormwater infrastructure using flow analysis

610 buildings currently in flood hazard zones

26%

20% of household in this study area stay in their homes longer than 30 years, 33% stay for over 20 years.

According to analysis of existing flood maps, today there are over 600 buildings within flood hazard risk areas inside our study area east of the Anacostia. Estimates also show that by 2080 the areas of flood risk could more than double in size.

Resiliency hubs

Climate Ready DC and Resilient DC are supporting a pilot Resilience Hub in Ward 7, with the intention of supporting “communities to become more selfdetermining, socially connected, and successful.”[27] Modeled after programs in Baltimore and Los Angeles, the Resilience Hub will serve people during one-time disaster events as well as meet day-to-day needs.

The Resilience Hub Community Committee (RHCC) envisions there should be a center within walking distance of every Ward 7 resident. Some initial efforts have been running out of the Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center.

Advocacy efforts

The River Corridor has benefited from robust advocacy and stewardship conducted by community groups, regional coalitions, and federal agencies. Several organizations today are taking unique approaches to improving water quality while promoting environmental stewardship and community engagement. These include the Anacostia Riverkeeper, Earth Conservation Corps, Anacostia River Society, Urban Waters Federal Partnership, among many more.

Use new roadway infrastructure as a vehicle for capturing water.

Ecology Goals

This advocacy plan emphasizes goals based on the enhancing ecological health of the corridor:

Bake-in resilience strategies to any development that is triggered by the highwayto-boulevard intervention.

Connect more people to more nature through better park and recreation access.