Posted on December 19, 2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, and Prince George’s County Department of the Environment (DoE) signed a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for the Anacostia Watershed Restoration project during a ceremony at the county’s DoE headquarters in Largo, Maryland, Dec. 15, 2022. The PPA will usher in the construction phase of the project, which aims to restore a segment of the Anacostia Watershed within Prince George’s County that has suffered from years of environmental neglect.
The project, which received $30 million from the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act signed by President Biden on March 15, 2022, will restore 7 miles of instream habitat; open 4 miles for fish passage; and connect 14 miles of stream to previously restored stream reaches.
Initial construction is expected to begin in late spring 2023 and will focus on the replacement of a pedestrian bridge that will be aligned perpendicular to the flow of the Northwest Branch.
“We’re proud to have a strong partnership with Prince George’s County DoE, as we work together to move forward this important restoration effort,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Estee Pinchasin. “As one of the most urbanized watersheds within the Chesapeake Bay, the execution of this Project Partnership agreement brings us one step closer to ensuring substantial environmental improvements are made for our habitat and communities.”
USACE has coordinated the federal effort to restore the watershed since the early 1990s, as part of their duties within the Anacostia Watershed Management Committee. In February 2010, USACE, in cooperation with local resource agencies, completed the Anacostia River Watershed Restoration Plan, which identified more than 3,000 projects for implementation and has since led to follow-on watershed ecosystem restoration studies in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in Maryland.
“Prince George’s County is excited to continue its partnership with USACE on this important stream restoration and habitat improvement project,” said County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “This partnership will ensure our commitment to restoring and protecting our water quality and the environment by working toward a cleaner, healthier Anacostia River.
The greater Anacostia River watershed encompasses approximately 176 square miles in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, Maryland; and the District of Columbia. Human development and alteration in the watershed have led to severe stream habitat damage, including excess sediment and erosion, physical blockages for fish movement, poor water quality and loss of wetlands and forests along the Anacostia River.
Baltimore District celebrates 175 years of Service to our Nation in 2022
Since the Nation’s fight for independence, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has played a vital role in developing our Nation. The Baltimore District has a long and storied history that extends as far back as the early 1800s when USACE constructed Fort McHenry, successfully shielding Baltimore against British attacks in the War of 1812. And when the threat of coastal attack diminished in the 1820s, Baltimore District turned its attention to developing roadways, railways, canals, and more, marking the beginning of the District’s Civil Works mission. Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Baltimore District has an extensive flood risk management program, inspecting nearly 150 miles of levee systems and operating 16 dams, translating to the prevention of more than $16 billion of flood damages to date. The district maintains 290 miles of federal channels, including dredging the Baltimore Harbor, which material is beneficial mainly for restoration missions, such as the expansion of Poplar Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The district has vast ecosystem restoration missions that include restoring native oyster populations in the Bay. Baltimore District is the only district to operate a public utility — the Washington Aqueduct — that produces an average of 135 million gallons of drinking water per day at two treatment plants for approximately one million citizens living, working, or visiting the National Capital Region. The district also cleans up formerly used defense sites, decommissions and deactivates former nuclear power plants, and performs cleanup of low-level radioactive waste from the Nation’s early atomic weapons program. Baltimore District executes a robust military construction program and provides real estate services. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.
For more information, please visit www.nab.usace.army.mil/.
