If you're passionate about the Anacostia river, if you love being outdoors, if you want to see a cleaner, healthier river that's available today and tomorrow - the Year of the Anacostia is for you. All year, we're going to celebrate, educate, and elevate the Anacostia River and its importance to Ward 6.

Why 2018? There's a remarkable number of milestone anniversaries and major events all tied to life around our great Anacostia River:

• 100th anniversary of Anacostia Park being declared a national park;
• 50th anniversary of the National Park Service's "Summer in the Parks Program" in Washington, DC;
• 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Douglass, the "Lion of the Anacostia" and DC recently broke ground on the South Capital Street Bridge Project, which bears Frederick Douglass' name;
• DC Water will begin operations of the Anacostia Tunnel, an ambitious project that will reduce up to 90% of storm water overflow directly into the river. 
• in July, Washington, DC will host the MLB All-Star game on the banks of the Anacostia;

So, what's happened thus far?

• Last year, Councilmember Allen rallied all 12 of his colleagues to pass a sense of the Council declaring 2018 the Year of the Anacostia. Read the bill here. 
• Councilmember Mary Cheh, as chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, held a public hearing to invite residents and lovers of the river to share their hopes and concerns for the Anacostia. Watch the hearing here (YOTA testimony begins around the 15 minute mark.)
• Councilmember Allen joined Mayor Bowser on Friday, Jan 15, as the Mayor designated Kingman and Heritage Islands as state conservation areas and put $4.5 million toward protecting the island while making it more accessible for visitors. This was a project Councilmember Allen has been working with neighbors on for years. The Hill Rag was at the announcement.
• Councilmember Allen introduced the Nonprofit Stormwater Infrastructure Incentive Amendment Act of 2017, a bill which would allow nonprofits to participate and profit from the storm water credit market without risking having to pay property taxes.
• Councilmember Allen introduced the District Waterways Management Act of 2017 to establish greater planning, oversight, and control of water use as more and more people remember DC is a city on the water.

What's next? Stay informed and get involved at future events. Join the Year of the Anacostia (#YOTA) email list below.

Social Media - Use the hashtag #YOTA and share your experiences and time on the river. Advocate for the river with your community and social group. Volunteer and inspire others. We've assembled this Year of the Anacostia list of accounts on Twitter.