Anacostia Watershed Society
Stream Corridor Assessment
Downstream from Bonifant Road

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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: 9/2/2005

233114 Erosion Site

EROSION CORRIDOR!!

I lost myself; am I seeing a stream corridor or an erosion corridor?

Approximate length: 1.26 miles Approximate height: 7 ft

You can see lumps of clay at the bottom.
These will be washed away by severe stream flow

233114 Observation

Silent and immovable witnesses - trees.

One does not need to say that trees cannot move. Therefore, trees can be excellent witnesses. Here is a good example.
They tell that river is getting wider and deeper undermining their home ground because of increased peak stream flow.

Original picture
There must have been banks where trees are there.




 With explanation
The current section view is shown with a red line lining the contour of the stream. The imagined original section view for the stream is shown with a blue line linking trees sitting side by side on the stream banks. The stream became 2-3 times wider in order to accommodate the increased peak stream flows on rainy days.

233115 Unusual Condition

Again, there was not rainfall within 48 hours but the river water was still turbid. The same symptom was reported by the preliminary report of area 19.

Here is the precipitation data at National Airport.

Date Precipitation
(inches)
8/29 0.00
8/30 trace
8/31 0.00
9/1 0.00
9/2
survey date		 0.00

This picture is the evidence of problematic erosion.

Bonus Pictures

Muddy stream bed. There are several places where I can see much mud in the MAIN stream of the NW Branch.
Isn't this unusual?

It is difficult to see from this picture but inches of mud is deposited in the MAIN stream of the NW Branch.

Encountered a box turtle. This turtle can put lids on his head and tail.
"Both the front and rear parts of the plastron operate on a single hinge, enabling the turtles to close the shell completely."
(Excerpt from A Guide to Field Identification of Reptiles of North America)

Beautiful green carpet! But this grass in the woods is an invasive plant, Japanese Stilt Grass.
According to Marc Imlay of the Anacostia Watershed Society, it is the worst invasive plant.

I met a lady who said, "The walking path was eroded away! We had to make a new path."

Original picture
Picture with explanation