A State of the Streams report released Thursday by Nature Forward gave Little Falls Branch, Rock Creek, Seneca Creek and Sligo Creek a “fair” rating, earning between 66 and 74 points out of 100.
The streams were evaluated on water quality, biodiversity and habitat, climate resilience and access to parks. Some streams scored high on accessibility but lower quality due to run off from litter, animal excrement and agricultural runoff.
Streams act as the first line of defense as the water flows into nearby rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, explained Lydia Lawrence, conservation director at Nature Forward in Chevy Chase.
Representatives from Nature Forward as well as the various watershed partners held a press conference at Meadowbrook Local Park in Chevy Chase Thursday where they discussed the report’s findings and led a short walk along Rock Creek.
The speakers urged everyone to get involved by planting native trees and joining stream cleanups.
According to the report, Seneca Creek received “fair” scores on biodiversity and habitat. It fared better when it came to its fish population, which includes trout and smallmouth bass that thrive with few barriers to their migration.
Sligo Creek “suffers from the effects of a moderately poor score in tree canopy, invasive plants and impervious surface as well as the loss of wetlands,” according to the report, which also noted the number of fish types shows growth.
This is the full report.
