Anacostia Watershed Society Stream Corridor Assessment Lower Bel Pre Creek
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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: 5/5/2005

Site 226106 Erosion Site

Approximate length: 950 ft - Approximate Height: 5 ft

227108 Unusual Condition

A gully can be seen in picture 227108-1. There is no water flowing in this gully under dry-weather condition.
When it rains, flushing stormwater flows down creating this gully. The area beyond the woods is developed.

Picture 227108-2 shows upstream of this Picture 227108-1. Flushing stormwater is forming a drop here.

228102 Comment: No more Pipe Arch

This culvert (A.K.A. Pipe Arch) might become a fish barrier in the future.
Stream flow might scour the river bed just after it is released from the culvert.
This bridge looks relatively new. Even though it looks new, it seems to me that this construction
is old fashioned from the environmental viewpoint. If we consider aquatic animals' habitat,
the bridge should be arch shaped straddling from shore to shore.
Sadly, a similar pipe arch was installed for a bridge crossing the Paint Branch in SPA (Special Protection Area).
Expensive future repairs to fix a fish barrier would not be necessary if the bridge had been designed environmentally friendly.

Site 228105 Erosion Site

Approximate length: 633 ft - Approximate Height: 5 ft

Is this a stream or woods? This is part of a stream.