For decades, the state of the Anacostia River has been, well, pretty abysmal. But D.C.’s Department of Environment is trying to change that. With their Anacostia River Sediment Project, the DDOE is hoping to make the river a place that can be clean enough for people to swim and fish in.

As part of their plan to keep the community involved in the developments in keeping the Anacostia River—and D.C.’s other river systems, including the Potomac—they’re hosting for meetings this month to inform people about how rivers get polluted and how they’re cleaning it up.

“Our rivers and streams are impacted by pollution from many sources, and the District is making huge strides to address them on all fronts,” DDOE Director Tommy Wells said in a statement. “From innovative and rigorous programs to reduce stormwater runoff, to creative approaches for eliminating trash and litter, to responding to the legacy of industrial contamination in the Anacostia River, the District is putting in place the tools we need to ensure our waters are healthy, safe, and clean for future generations.”

The first meeting is taking place tonight at the Mt. Pleasant Library (3160 16th Street NW) from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The next meetings will take place on June 23 at the Friendship Public Charter Schoold—Collegiate Academy (4095 Minnesota Avenue NE); June 24 at St. Coletta of Greater Washington (1901 Independence Avenue SE); and on June 30 at the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School (2427 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE). All meetings are open to the public and start at 6:30 p.m.