New life at our new Broad Branch stream

by Marlene Berlin

In the thick of the DC Department of the Environment’s work last year to restore the Broad Branch and Linnean streams, an adventurous mallard pair made the Broad Branch and Linnean streams their home and raised their family there.

I enjoyed watching the ducklings grow up over the summer. (Ed. note: Yep. Further reading: “Eight Surprises at Broad Branch Stream;” “Ducklings Still Paddling in Broad Branch Stream;” “Broad Branch Ducklings Are Growing Up;” “Make way for ducklings: Forest Hills edition.”

This is the first spring since the project’s completion late last summer, and I’ve been curious to see what wildlife has moved in now that those noisy machines have gone. Would the ducks see fit to raise their brood there again? I went on a quest to find ducklings last week.

Lo and behold, there they were – with two moms.

Ducks aren’t the only parents and parents-to-be. During a May 18th check of the project he led, Steve Saari of DDOE found these two mating frogs.

Dragonflies are back as well. Saari told me in an email, “The frogs and dragonflies are good signs that the system is functioning as designed.” They’re also signs, Saari says, that mosquitos won’t be an issue.

Ongoing monitoring of water quality at Linnean during rain events is being done by the University of Maryland, and a report will be coming at the end of the year.

Correction: The initial story said no one is monitoring the macroinvertebrate life at either stream, but the University of Maryland is, in fact, studying the macroinvertibrates life at Linnean. See the comment below.