| Watts Branch | |
| Subdivision Type1: | States |
| Subdivision Name1: | Maryland |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Subdivision Type3: | City |
| Subdivision Name3: | Washington, D.C. |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 38.8706°N -76.9045°W |
| Mouth Location: | Anacostia River |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 38.9057°N -76.9571°W |
| River System: | Potomac River |
| Basin Size: | 11500acres |
| Length: | 4.9miles |
Watts Branch is a tributary stream of the Anacostia River in Prince George's County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
The headwaters of the stream originate in the Capitol Heights area of Prince George's County, and the branch flows roughly northwest for to the Anacostia, which drains to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. The watershed area of Watts Branch is about 6000acres in Prince George's County and 5500acres in Washington.[1]
Watts Branch is in a highly urbanized area, and its water quality has been rated as poor by government agencies. The stream has been polluted by urban runoff (stormwater), dumped trash and leaking sewer pipes. Much of the stream is in concrete channels or culverts.[2] A variety of stream cleanup and restoration projects have been initiated by D.C. government, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies, in cooperation with community organizations such as the Anacostia Riverkeeper, the Anacostia Watershed Society, Groundwork Anacostia, and the Watts Branch Community Alliance.[3]