Anacostia Watershed Society Homepage

SCA Survey
--Major Problems identified in Northwest Branch--

Northwest Branch watershed - 10
We encourage citizens to visit the sites in person in order to see the damage firsthand. Because the stream changes constantly, it may have features differing from pictures shown on this website.
Mouse over the numbers in the map below, then click it to enlarge the picture.

Bonus Pictures on this page!

220104 (Unusual Condition) (N39.0464, W77.01075)

Beautiful driveway! Wait, isn't it too wide?
This driveway deadends at this point and is empty almost all the time.
Why we need such a wide road here? I can park 6 cars in parallel from left to right.
See the result at the next picture from this too wide driveway.

It's eroding! Stormwater falling on the driveway flows here.
As you can see, no water is flowing in dry-weather conditions.
This is a ghost stream appearing only during storm events.

220107 (Erosion Site ) (N39.0515, W77.00995)

Site#

Date

Type

Possible Cause

Length(ft)

Height(ft)

220107

4/15/2005

widening

land use change

320

5

I hope that people will not become accustomed to seeing these pictures.

220111 (Comment) (N39.0518, W77.0099167)

It is a natural process that trees fall down, but aren't these too much?
These might catch on exposed pipes and manhole stacks downstream.

221101 (Erosion Site ) (N39.0545833, W77.0104)

Site#

Date

Type

Possible Cause

Length(ft)

Height(ft)

221101

4/15/2005

widening

land use change

160

6

221106 (Erosion Site ) (N39.0581667, W77.0107833)

Site#

Date

Type

Possible Cause

Length(ft)

Height(ft)

221106

4/15/2005

widening

land use change

180

6

222102 (Exposed Pipe - manhole stack ) (N39.0596, W77.0094667)

I am not sure if this stack is in service or not. The metal lid and rim were separated from the stack.
This area is accessible for children and actually two children were seen around here. It could be possible that children fall into this stack. However, the metal rim and lid is very heavy so small children cannot move it. This case was reported to WSSC and expected to get fixed.

222106 (Unusual Condition) (N39.06015, W77.00775)

Algal bloom in a side stream of the NW Branch. It is ugly, isn't it?

223101 (Erosion Site ) (N39.0586833, W77.0112)

Site#

Date

Type

Possible Cause

Length(ft)

Height(ft)

223101

4/15/2005

widening

land use change

220

5

Around this site, I met a gentleman called Mike Jonesburg, who has walking dogs along the branch for 20 years and has witnessed the changes in the branch.
According to him:

This erosion is new.
A golf course (I don't show the name because I have not confirmed the credibility of this information) discharged tons of sediments into this branch.
The branch HAD a gradual slope with stony riverbed. Now it is covered with sand because of erosion.

223102 (Erosion Site ) (N39.0592833, W77.01155)

Site#

Date

Type

Possible Cause

Length(ft)

Height(ft)

223102

4/15/2005

widening

land use change

140

6

Bonus Pictures: observation 1

Pictures below give you a good sense about what is occurring in the NW Branch.
Just scrub a stone with your boots. Then, you can see the deposition of fine particles of sediments on the stone from the erosion site.

Before
Original picture of a stone. After
The stone was scrubbed. Fine particles of deposit were taken off. It is suspected that short algae grow on the stone because when you take a stone and scrub it on your hand you can see a slimy, thread like materials. Then the algae catch fine particles and the particles surround the stone.

Bonus Pictures: observation 2

Riverbed material observation
Riverbed on the shore is subject to the stream water occasionally only on high flow events.
After the high flow events with much sediment, riverbed in the stream is subject to deposition.
Then the riverbed material is covered with fine particles.
The riverbed pictures shown below are located side by side in the NW Branch.

Riverbed on the shore Riverbed in the stream

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Special thanks to Clair Garman of the Friends of Sligo Creek for his help in editing this page. He is also a member of the Neighbors of Northwest Branch.