by Marlene Berlin Before dawn on Wednesday, WTOP traffic reporter Dave Dildine was checking for Ida-related flood damage, and Broad Branch Road was one of his stops. Broad Branch Road NW will need to be closed. In addition to large storm debris, the force of flood water has compromised a section of the road, lifting […]
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DC is using decades-old rain predictions to plan local infrastructure projects, though more recent data is available
by Marlene Berlin Starting this winter, DC Water is set to undertake the rehabilitation of the century-old Soapstone Valley sewer system. The goal is to keep the sewer pipes whole and harden them against erosion and other severe weather impacts for decades to come. The design of infrastructure projects such as these is determined in […]
Photos: Big storms leave a mark on our streams
by Marlene Berlin Nature gave us quite a light show Wednesday evening. And an interactive one too. If you weren’t quick enough, you may have had to do some mopping up, as the wind drove the heavy rain sideways through open windows. The Capital Weather Gang collected some amazing photos of the storm rolling over […]
DC Water will pay the Soapstone Valley sewer rehab contractor for each tree saved
by Marlene Berlin In the decade since DC Water revealed plans to rehabilitate the aging sewers in the Soapstone Valley, the primary concern of neighbors and trail users has been the protection of the park’s trees. A recent update on the project makes it clear that DC Water has been listening. DC Water representatives told […]
Tune into these public meetings for updates on Soapstone sewers, Rock Creek trail rehab and the Connecticut Ave. reversible lanes study
Public meetings in the next couple of weeks will discuss some major projects of major import to Rock Creek and Soapstone Trail users and neighbors, and to Connecticut Avenue users and neighbors. All of these meetings will conducted virtually. March 16th – Soapstone Valley sewer rehabilitation The last time DC Water provided an update, we […]
ANC 3F turns away Burger King parking lot landscaping plan presented as alternative to addressing stormwater runoff
Less than a month before a DC-ordered deadline for stormwater mitigation, ANC 3F sent the Van Ness Burger King franchise back to the drawing board. In exchange for a nine-year zoning variance that allows the continued use of the parking lot beyond the drive-thru, Potomac Foods Group agreed in 2018 to repave it with permeable […]
Watch: Broad Branch flooding time lapse after Thursday’s rain
by Marlene Berlin Last Thursday’s heavy rain caused local waterways to overflow and led to dramatic water rescues across the region. Thankfully, no drivers were trapped on Broad Branch Road this time, but Rock Creek and tributary streams such as Broad Branch did flood local roadways. WTOP captured the dramatic power of the water on […]
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Is it safe to splash in Soapstone or Rock Creek? Volunteer scientists are collecting samples each week to find out
by William J. Sittig Is it safe to swim or engage in other water recreational activities in Rock Creek and its tributaries? First of all, it is important to know that swimming is currently illegal in DC waters and has been since the 1970s. But, to assist in answering the question of whether or not […]
What an early July deluge did to Soapstone Creek, and who comes to repair the damage
by Marlene Berlin The storms that rolled through the area late on Monday, July 6th and early the next morning produced quite a light show. They also pummeled the region with rain. Trees fell, thousands lost power, roads flooded and Metro suspended service between Van Ness and Dupont Circle as water poured into the Cleveland […]
NPS signs off on DC Water’s plan for massive Soapstone Valley sewer rehab project
They had the blueprint. Now they have the green light. DC Water announced on May 8th that the National Park Service has approved the District agency’s preferred plan for rehabilitating the century-old sanitary sewer pipes running through the Soapstone Creek valley. The creek lies east of Connecticut Avenue at Albemarle Street and is also part […]