Welcome to Kingman & Heritage Islands

Welcome to Kingman and Heritage Islands. . , History , The Anacostia River was once nearly a mile wide, and the channel was deep enough for ocean-going ships to travel and trade. By 1850, the river had silted in from erosion caused by deforestation and farming, and was no longer navigable. In 1912, the Army Corps of Engineers began to dredge the Anacostia River in an attempt to make it passable again for shipping. through this process, thousands of acres of wetlands were filled in and destroyed and Kingman and Heritage Islands were formed from the dredge spoils. Kingman Island was federal property until 1996, when it was transferred to the District of Columbia. Today, Kingman and Heritage Islands are District-owned public parkland dedicated to environmental education and the preservation of natural resources., What Is a Watershed? , A watershed is an area of land that drains into a body of water. When it rains, water drains from parts of Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and the District of Columbia to streams that flow into the Anacostia River. Each stream that drains into the Anacostia has its own watershed that is, in turn, a sub-watershed of the Anacostia. Likewise, the Anacostia is a sub-watershed of the larger Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Water from the Anacostia River flows into the Potomac River, which then flows into the Chesapeake Bay. That same water ultimately makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean , nearly 200 miles downstream from the District of Columbia. More than one million people live in the Anacostia watershed., Critical Habitats and Natural Resources , Kingman and Heritage Islands illustrate the resiliency of nature. Although they were completely man-made at the expense of wetland ecosystems over 100 years ago, these islands are now home to important and rare ecosystems, including tidal freshwater wetlands, vernal pools, wildflower meadows, and tidal swamp forests. There are more than 100 different species of birds and other wildlife that call the Kingman and Heritage Islands home. Thousands of District students visit the islands to participate in environmental and science education programs; students and scientists have spent the last 20 years restoring this fresh water tidal wetland. Today, the islands' ecosystem supports a variety of wildlife and as the tide rises and falls each day it filters pollution from the Anacostia River.