by Marlene Berlin Autumn in Rock Creek Park is a paradox. You want to lift your gaze to behold the unfolding beauty of autumn. But if you don’t watch your step, you could slip on an abundance of acorns. Have you hiked on a trail virtually carpeted in acorns? It is like trying to walk […]
A ‘significant milestone’ in DC Water’s Soapstone sewer project, but completion is still weeks away
The Soapstone Valley sewer rehabilitation project has taken a big and “important step” toward completion. “We are pleased to share that the Soapstone project has reached a significant milestone with the successful [September 26th] installation of Shot #10, the final segment of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP),” wrote DC Water on October 2nd. “This achievement marks an […]
The government shutdown and the national park next door
In case you did not know, many Rock Creek Park facilities are closed, and services such as trash pickup are suspended for the shutdown’s duration. That means the Rock Creek Nature Center and Peirce Mill are not welcoming visitors, and Friends of Peirce Mill does not yet know whether its Mid-Atlantic Grain Fair will be […]
ANC 3F September 16 agenda: No Soapstone sewer update (!); Reno Road crossings, DC Home Rule
They’re back. ANC 3F returns from its August break to its regularly scheduled meetings on the third Tuesday of the month. And the commission’s next meeting, on September 16th, is the first one in a long time without DC Water and the Soapstone Valley sewer project on the agenda. Not that the project is complete, […]
Soapstone sewer project latest: Hard work in hard rock, and an “illegal” sewer pipe
by Marlene Berlin In what is being described as tedious and labor-intensive work, DC Water contractors are removing layers of hard rock at the bottom of a manhole they are trying to excavate to 42 feet. They hit the rock at 30 feet and as of August 22nd, were halfway through. The manhole in question […]
Backyard Nature: This pollinator-friendly plant is still blooming
by Marlene Berlin Along the Soapstone Trail by the Linnean outfall are blooming plants that have been visited all summer by happily buzzing bees as well as butterflies and birds. It is a native plant called the partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata). The partridge pea is a legume species, native to most of the eastern United […]
Local park updates: The fix-it edition
Our well-loved parks suffer wear and tear of both the natural and manmade variety. And over the past few weeks, DC agencies and volunteers have been tackling many of the issues. New drinking fountains for Forest Hills Park These friendly workers, from the DC Department of General Services, swapped out the park and playground’s old […]
Stream and stormwater updates: Broad Branch’s bad report card, Linnean trail work, and the late arrival of some of our favorite seasonal neighbors
Broad Branch stream health Alicia Ritzenhaler, environmental protection specialist at the DC Department of Energy and the Environment, says the stream has a new water quality sensor. The data it collects is used to score the stream’s health. DOEE’s Stream Condition Index assigns A-F letter grades, and the Broad Branch report card not looking good. […]
The latest timeline for completing the Soapstone sewer project and reopening Albemarle Street
The DC Water work site at 32nd and Albemarle Street’s has gone quiet again after a few days of noisy work in mid-May. Clark Construction was drilling and pile driving to shore up and stabilize the street around a manhole that’s about to be excavated and replaced. DC Water says Clark has completed the job. […]
Opinion: RFK Jr.’s Rock Creek tributary swim calls attention to the parks’ pollution – and public communication problems
by Marlene Berlin I’ve been sounding the alarm for a while now, and I’ll say it again: Don’t let your children, your dogs, or yourself swim, wade, play, or otherwise come into contact with the waters of Rock Creek and tributaries including Soapstone, Reservation 630, and Broad Branch. On a good day, they are polluted […]