Anacostia River

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/anacostia-river

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is the Anacostia River?Approximately 175 square miles (450 sq km)
2. What is the location?Mid-Atlantic region, flowing through Prince George's County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C
3. Why was the Anacostia River called "D.C.'s forgotten river"?The river was very polluted by factories, sewage, and runoff. People didn’t clean it up for many years, so it was often ignored.
4. How is the Anacostia River getting cleaner?Many groups, like businesses, governments, and volunteers, are working together to clean the water and plant trees along the banks. They are also fixing waste‑water systems.

Watershed Management: The practice of planning, developing, and conserving water resources within a drainage basin.
Ecological Restoration: The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.
Urban Runoff: Water from rain or snowmelt that flows over urban surfaces, picking up pollutants.
Impervious Surfaces: Materials like concrete and asphalt that do not allow water to soak through into the ground.