Urban Rivers and (Yuck) Sewers Are Cool Again

Los Angeles River

As we contemplate the wrath of Sandy, I thought I'd share with you all two important short films recently profiled on Grist that discuss the rediscovery of urban rivers and underground sewers.  Lost River discusses the exploits of "drainers" who explore and photograph some ancient and quite beautiful underground sewers (formerly waterways) in places like Brescia, Italy.  It also looks at the latest trend of unearthing urban rivers and details the succesful effort of Seoul to unearth, restore and revitalize the area around its Cheonggyecheon River--a stream that had traversed the city but, that had disappered under concrete when a major freeway had been built over it in the 1970s.  Closer to home, Rock the Boat, follows the efforts of local residents, paddlers, fishermen and environmentalists to thwart the Corps of Engineers and developers who in the early 2000s undertook to redesignate the Los Angeles River (yes, there is a river there!) as a non-river--and therefore, not have it abide by those pesky Clean Water Act restrictions.  Score one for the river as Los Angeles has recently developed a master plan for restoring the river.  http://grist.org/cities/sewer-discretion-is-advised-explorers-find-hidden-wonders-in-urban-waterways/.  Since the controversy, Friends of the Los Angeles River has sprung up to advocate on behalf of access, cleanup, and restoration of this much despoiled urban waterway. 

Will Levee Bond Referendum Hold?

As I've pointed out in my posts recently about the lower sections of Cameron Run, there is a $30 million dollar bond initiative to build a levee and pumping station to protect the working class Huntington neighborhood in Alexandria from further flooding.  As the accompanying Washington Post article points out, voters in Fairfaxt County will vote on November 6th as to whether they will finance the levee project, as well as two other bond initiatives on the ballot.  Increased development upstream as well as construction of the adjacent Capital Beltway and loss of nearby wetlands have resulted in catastrophic flooding events in recent years that have inundated local homes.  Without approval of the bond, the only remaining option for homeowners is to stay put and put up with future floods, move or hope that a private developer will step in to redevelop the area (and which would likely still result in upheaval of the existing neighborhood).     http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-politics/in-fairfax-county-neighborhood-bond-levee-is-election-days-main-event/2012/10/25/67547aa2-1c59-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_story.html

Cameron Run: Mother Nature Can Bite...and Its Not Always With Teeth!

So I was out walking today (Thursday) around Capitol Hill during my lunch break and the sky was blue, the birds were chirping, the Fall air was cool and I am thinking, "Do I really have to go back to the office?"  Of course, like all good workaholic Washingtonians, I did go back to the office.  Ugh.  Being outdoors though, got me to thinking about my watershed (Cameron Run) and especially the map rendering that I had examined earlier in the week that shows how my watershed's downstream course has been changed over the last half-century on account of suburban development and nearby highway construction.  The rendering, above, accompanied an article in the Washington Post from almost exactly one year ago when a devastating flood inundated many homes in the Huntington neighborhood of Alexandria--the second "100-year" type flood in a five year period.  What's especially interesting is how the course of Cameron run has been altered and channelized over the years. 

The rendering clearly shows that what was once a meandering stream, is now a nearly straight channel.  Due to sedimentation from years of highway construction and reconstruction, increased impervious surface resulting from suburbanization upstream, and channelization of many parts of the waterway, Cameron Run today cannot handle the volumes of water that rush into it and its upstream tributaries during a heavy rain event.  The result: the seemingly endless flooding of a close-knit and vibrant working class neighborhood.  Years of studies and proposals for a levee, pumping station, and redevelopment have borne no fruit so far.  The latter option, redeveloping the neighborhood into a mixed-use area, seems the most viable since it would involve partnering with developers who would have the funds and motivation (on account of the neighborhood's proximity to the Huntington Metro Station) to implement the infrastructure changes that neither the Federal, State, or local government have so far been able to pursue.  



Upstream View of Cameron Run (Huntington Metro Station is at left).

  In the meantime, I think that now that we have an increased awareness of the ill-effects that can befall urban streams (and the neighborhoods and natural areas that sit astride them) when we don't plan with nature, we really need to think and act more rationally and carefully in the future with respect to watershed planning and carefully consider all the effects that altering stream corridor and adjacent wetlands may have not only in the immediate area of any development/disturbance but, also downstream.  The price of not planning and considering all such adverse effects is not only detrimental to wildlife and biodiversity but, also hurts the bottom line and welfare of us humans as well.              

Rainy Days Are Good for Blogging!

"Native" Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

So I had one resolution on this rainy, dreary Sunday in the Mid-Atlantic:  Finish up my invasive tree/plant/ shrub presentation for my Watershed class!  I think it's pretty good, if i say so myself (See below).  Taking pictures around my neighborhood for a couple of weeks and putting this presentation together made me aware once more what a challenge invasive species pose just in my small neighborhood of Waycroft-Woodlawn.  Right now, porcelainberry and amur honeysuckle are in their fruiting glory and the local birdlife is gorging and (inadvertently) spreading these invaders.  It's also amazing how invasive and non-native species seem to be all around us and how insidious the spread of these species has been.  No doubt, part of the success of these species has been our human propensity to not be aware of the threat they pose and our own desire for the latest exotic, maintenance free, and sweet-smelling "thing" that nobody else (yet) has.  For example, how many people would be aware that crape myrtle, camellias, the ubiquitous evergreen azaleas, and most commercially-available hydrangea are not native to the US?   While none of these are considered invasive, English Ivy, Porcelainberry and Amur Honeysuckle (profiled in my presentation) all got their start in the same way--they were introduced as hardy ornamentals and for erosion control.  The result, a seeming monoculture of introduced non-natives and a pronounced loss of biodiversity.

So why did I post the above image of the Dawn Redwood (about 30 meters tall now) that sits in my front yard?  Partly to show the complexity of deciding what is native, non-native, and what is invasive.  The Dawn Redwood was a native of North America and spread across most of the continent before it became extinct here thousands of years ago.  In the 1940s, it was rediscovered in a remote part of Szechuan province in China and soon thereafter reintroduced in the United States.  it is now fairly widespread in the Mid-Atlantic and spreads quite readily in these parts--in my own yard, literally hundreds of seedlings sprout every spring from the mother tree and they are very fast growing once established.  A lovely tree, especially in winter when its reddish bark is  one of the most colorful in an otherwise brown landscape of bare trees and snow, I wonder if someday we'll decide that its hardiness, long-term absence from the North American ecosystem, and its effect on other natives will render it as yet another on the long list of invasives that bedevil us.  INVASIVES PRESENTATION

Watershed Protection Begins at Home

Arlington's StormwaterWiseLandscapes program just received an $80,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  The program provides grants to homeowners, community groups, and businesses for onsite green infrasture projects to lessen the impacts of stormwater coming off property and overburdening sewer systems and polluting the Potomac and associated watersheds--think money for pervious driveways and walkways, rain gardens, green roofs, and other small-scaled green infrastructure.  I think this is a great effort to improve water quality in our local watersheds, save funds that would otherwise be used for watershed cleanups and costly sewage treatment and stormwater hardscape fixes, and help restore our natural environment.  Read on!


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-state-of-nova/post/arlington-falls-church-receive-funds-to-prevent-stormwater-runoff-to-chesapeake-bay/2012/09/24/611f0f16-0684-11e2-a10c-fa5a255a9258_blog.html

Cameron Run: A Study in Urban Stream Restoration

Hello Again.  In case you were wondering, I've finally settled on a watershed that I'd like to study and share information about during the course of this semester.  Cameron Run is an interesting study considering that its a stream that we've all probably encountered if we've lived in the D.C. Metropolitan Area long enough--in its lower valley, where it meets up with Hunting Creek, it straddles the Beltway.  Sadly, I think most people don't give the stream below nary a thought as they hurtle past in their automobiles high above on the concrete ribbon that is I-495.  

Even more challenging however, is the moribund state of the stream and its watershed considering its location--like many other local streams in the area that empty into the Potomac watershed, Cameron Run is bedeviled by urbanization and its attendant stresses.  In the coming weeks, I hope to explore thru this blog information about the watershed's technical details, geography, history, and most importantly, recent efforts and groups that trying to restore the watershed and improve its water quality.  

I think its important at the outset to state the reasons for why I believe its imperative that we think seriously about why its important for communities to study and restore streams:  First, of course, the law requires it.  Because of their impaired status, local and state water bodies, are in violation of the Clean Water Act and it is incumbent on these municipalities to address the issue in order to meet the requirements of the law.  Second, the impaired status of streams like Cameron Run affects the world around us in ways we can only begin to contemplate.  From poor water quality, to inedible fish, to lack of recreational use, to impacts on fishing and tourism, an impaired stream has no practical use for both humans and wildlife--indeed, these streams may even be downright dangerous to touch, drink, or be around.  Lastly,  we have a moral obligation to do what is right with respect to the natural world and to leave this world a better place for future generations to enjoy.  

So next time you are hurtling past poor Cameron Run high above its flow, think about getting off at the next exit and checking it out.  You may discover that it still has some things to commend it but, that it also faces an uncertain future (much like us humans).

Okay, so here is my first blog posting.  I've never done this before!  Here I am three weeks into this watershed course and I just managed to figure out this whole blogger mess and make this blog somewhat more personal, colorful and add a photo of myself (so you'd know who the heck I am!).  

I'm hoping to learn more about watersheds in this course.  Duh.  More importantly, I want to interact, share ideas, and learn about my environment and ways to make it better from my fellow students and instructor.  So far, its been pretty interesting--i especially enjoy the fact that the class gets outside on weekends and we learn by seeing, doing, touching, and engaging with each other and with nature.  

Tomorrow (Saturday), we're heading down to Donaldson Run for our Dendrology session.  I really need to get my invasive plants template finished up so, I'm hoping that this outing really helps me get some good ideas on my final template.  I also need to get this blog filled with some of the photos of our Potomac River and Four-Mile Run outings.  Small victories.

Happy Weekend!