Anacostia Watershed Society Stream Corridor Assessment Downstream from Randolph Rd
Back to Photo Gallery Anacostia Watershed Society

The following information was provided by Masaya Maeda of the Anacostia Watershed Society.

AWS has decided to conduct a SCA (Stream Corridor Assessment) survey on the Northwest Branch and has already conducted it on a small portion of the stream. We would like to identify environmental problems such as eroding stream banks, inadequate stream buffers, exposed pipes, altered stream channels, fish migration barriers, pipe outfalls, in-stream construction sites and trash dumping locations along the branch. The major findings will be reported appropriately. The data will be also used to raise people's awareness of stream problems and eventually it will be incorporated into WRAS project by State Government.

Survey Date: 4/15/2005

Site 220104 Erosion Site
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.

Site 220107 Erosion Site
I hope that people will not become accustomed to these pictures. Approximate length: 320 ft. Approximate height: 5 ft.

Site 220111 Comment
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.

Site 221101 Erosion Site
Approximate length: 160 ft
Approximate height: 6 ft

Site 221106 Erosion Site
Approximate length: 180 ft
Approximate height: 6 ft

Site 222102 Exposed Pipe (manhole stack)
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.

Site 222106 Unusual Condition
Algal bloom in a side stream of the NW Branch. It is ugly, isn't it?

Site 223101 Erosion Site
Approximate length: 220 ft Approximate height: 5 ft
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.

Site 223102 Erosion Site
Approximate length: 140 ft Approximate height: 6 ft

Bonus Pictures: observation
Pictures below give you a good sense about what is occurring in the NW Branch.
This is a scrubbing test (I made up the name).
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 with my boots. 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.

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