ROCK CREEK (POTOMAC RIVER)

'Rock Creek' is a free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via Chesapeake Bay. The creek is approximately 33 miles (53.1 km) long, with a drainage area of about 76.5 mi² (198 km²). The last quarter mile (402 meters) of the creek is affected by tidal activity.
The creek rises from a spring near Laytonsville in Montgomery County, Maryland, and joins with the Potomac near Georgetown and the Watergate in Washington, D.C. About 9 miles (14.5 km) of the creek flow though Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., where it is fed by eight small creeks — including Piney Branch, Pinehurst Branch, Broad Branch, Soapstone Branch, and Luzon Branch — and numerous storm sewers.
About 21 percent of the creek's watershed is in Washington, D.C. Total land usage in the watershed is 896 acres (3.6 km²) of wetlands or water, 22,272 acres (90 km²) of residential and commercial areas, 15,488 acres (63 km²) of forest or grasslands, and 10,304 acres (42 km²) of agricultural areas.
The creek has a fairly steep gradient with rapid changes in elevation. The man made Lake Needwood is located on the creek, north of Rockville.
In December 2003, the National Park Service announced plans to remove or bypass eight fish barriers in the creek, including adding a fish ladder to bypass the historic 1905 Peirce Mill Dam, modifying historic fords, and removing abandoned sewage lines and fords. The effort is designed to restore American shad, river herring, and other migratory fish to the creek and their historic upriver spawning grounds.

Contents

Tributaries of Rock Creek

See also

External link

Tributaries of Rock Creek

''In order from the mouth upstream''
'In DC:'

★ Pinehurst Branch

★ Piney Branch

★ Broad Branch

★ Soapstone Branch

★ Luzon Branch
'In Maryland:'

★ Alta Vista Tributary of Rock Creek, ''formerly Bethesda Run''

See also

★ List of District of Columbia rivers

★ List of Maryland rivers

★ Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway

★ Rock Creek Park

External link

★ Friends of Rock Creek's Environment