Anacostia Watershed Society
Stream Corridor Assessment
Rolling Stone Tributary - Colesville

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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: 8/12/2005

233102 Unusual Condition

There was no rainfall within 48 hours but still the river water was turbid.
Here is the precipitation information at National Airport around the survey date.

Date Precipitation
(inches)
8/8 1.17
8/9 0.16
8/10 0.00
8/11 0.00
8/12
survey date		 0.00

233103 Unusual Condition

Too many trees have fallen down and blocked the creek.

233105 Unusual Condition

Isn’t this too much siltation? This siltation was in the main stream of the NW Branch. I see many places of these.
The severe erosion I have been seeing and this siltation are correlated.
There is a significant relationship between this picture (233105) and picture 233102 shown above.

233108 Comment

Clear water comes from a tributary of the NW Branch.
Turbid water flows in the mainstream of the NW Branch.
It is clear that upstream portion of the NW Branch has a problem.

Original pictures
Annotated pictures

233109 Erosion Site

Approximate length: 200 ft - Approximate height: 5 ft

233110 Erosion Site

Approximate length: 240 ft - Approximate height: 5 ft

233112 Erosion Site

Approximate length: 30 ft - Approximate height: 7 ft

233113 Erosion Site

Approximate length: 80 ft - Approximate height: 5 ft

234102 Erosion Site

Approximate length: 552 ft - Approximate height: 4 ft

234103 Fish Barrier

This culvert is a fish barrier for resident fish. However it is NOT a significant problem because this stream is a 1st order stream.
Even though it is not a significant problem, I question whether we need to make this type of culvert and whether we want to do so.