Down By The Riverside Campaign History

What is Watts Branch?

Before 1920, Watts Branch was a pristine stream valley running through farmland. Generations of people fished and swam in the creek. Preserved as public space in 1930 following a series of big floods, Watts Branch is the longest city park and creek in Washington. With its 3.7-square-mile watershed covering a large section of Ward 7 and Prince George's County, Watts Branch is a major stream system feeding into the Anacostia River. After running through Prince George's County for two miles, the creek runs from the Capital Heights Metrorail Station to Minnesota Avenue, then on national parkland to the Anacostia River, where it enters across from the National Arboretum and the northern tip of Kingman Island.

Unfortunately, despite repeated public plans and rededications for its completion as a park - in 1939, 1966, 1973, 1979, 1988, and so on - the park was until recently unfinished and largely forgotten. The park was transferred from the National Park Service to the District of Columbia in 1972, and in 1973 the Northeast Boundary Association, led by John and Granville Woodson, developed a plan for its transformation into a multi-purpose community park and learning center. The centerpiece of this plan was a bike trail linked into the Fort Circle trail system. The Watts Branch bike path was developed in pieces in the 1970's and 1980's, but not maintained.

Call To Action

Young People we met along the Watts Branch Park trail held the secret to a safe, clean, connected park space for their neighborhood. With their guidance, Washington Parks & People developed this Call to Action, a community pledge to advocate for and work toward creating positive change in our longest city park:

We call on the District of Columbia government to restore our longest city park and creek, Watts Branch, which runs through the heart of Ward 7. Once a beautiful place where our residents gathered for music, picnics, fishing, baptisms, and so much more, the park has been neglected for decades. Along the entire 1.4-mile path and park, we urgently need:

1. Environmental Restoration & Education
2. Year-Round Maintenance
3. Trash Cans and Regular Trash Pick-up
4. Sewage Pipe Repairs
5. Anti-Dump Guardrails
6. Safe Park Community Policing
7. Park Signage, Benches, and Play Equipment
8. Arts, Music, and Cultural Programming
9. Emergency Call Boxes
10. Pole Lighting

We pledge to form a permanent community partnership to restore our park and make it come alive again as a positive place for Ward 7 and all of DC.

View the Watts Branch Photo Gallery and a watercolor map of the entire stream-valley. Find out more about the Riverside Center and read articles about the campaign to revitalize the park.

To join the campaign, contact us online
or call Washington Parks & People at 202-GO-2-PARK (202-462-7275).