Polluted Waters Stain D.C.'s Shining Vision

Gabriel Horchler, a Library of Congress employee who often commutes from Cheverly in a rowing shell, said he sees beavers and deer on the river's wooded shorelines -- but he has had people spit at him and throw rocks from the Benning Road bridge. He has seen the bald eagles that have recently come back -- and dodged car bumpers and baby carriages in the current.

"Sometimes, it's depressingly dirty and noxious," Horchler said. "And sometimes, it's very beautiful."

New parks and high-dollar developments could sharpen the contrast between what the Anacostia is and what it should be. Environmentalists hope that will translate into a greater public demand for cleanup.

Already, though, there have been battles over pollution control at the stadium. Environmentalists say they're happy that the city plans to try to corral stormwater, but they had also hoped for a green roof of plants on the stadium.

Planners say that would take away from one of the ballpark's signature features: its sweeping silvery roof canopy.

"This is a great opportunity for the river, and it still can be, hopefully," said Brian Van Wye, an activist whose title is Anacostia riverkeeper. "But the stadium has so far been fundamentally disappointing."

Thinking about the future, city officials tick off encouraging stories from other cities, where waterside development led to environmental improvements: the Chicago River, Boston Harbor.

But skeptics in Washington can also think of a counterexample, less than 40 miles north. It's got a ballpark and shops near the water -- and, still, one of the worst pollution problems in the mid-Atlantic.

"I'd take that person up to the Inner Harbor" in Baltimore, said Ed Merrifield, who serves as the riverkeeper for the Potomac. "And have them jump in the water there."