Many high density commercial and residential areas are located within the Sligo Creek watershed, including the Wheaton Triangle area and part of the Wheaton Central Business District, large areas of Takoma Park, and much of downtown Silver Spring. These areas and surrounding residential neighborhoods developed rapidly during the 1950's and 60's, before today's environmental standards for stream valley protection and stormwater management. All that remains of Sligo's natural stream network are mainstems of streams with most feeder tributaries paved over and piped into storm drains. The remaining stream system has been heavily armored in many areas to reduce channel erosion. These alterations may improve bank stability, but provide limited habitat value. Areas that have not been armored exhibit varying degrees of bank instability and erosion problems due to uncontrolled stormflows. Efforts to restore the watershed have included an examination of methods to improve flow conditions so that stream channel restoration efforts can occur, rather than completely armoring the stream and displacing all natural habitat.

New runoff controls at the Wheaton Branch, the University Boulevard.. and Sligo Golf course retrofit ponds, and improvements to the aged and leaking sanitary sewers are bringing positive changes to the streams. Since completion of the Wheaton Branch pond and associated stream channel restoration, native fish have been transplanted from other similar watersheds in order to augment the recovery of fish populations in Sligo Creek. Existing downstream blockages restrict normal fish movement in Sligo Creek to some degree, preventing the natural re-establishment of a more diverse fish community. Biological monitoring conducted by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) indicates that the number of native fish species re-established in the Upper Sligo Creek mainstem has increased from three in 1988 to eleven currently. This is extremely encouraging.

Despite the onslaught of urbanization, the Sligo Creek stream valley park system has preserved a riparian corridor which allows the protection and restoration of pockets of high quality stream habitat. Flow conditions and impaired habitat which have prevented a viable biological community from living in the watershed are being addressed through joint efforts by DEP, M-NCPPC, the ICPRB, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments as part of the regional Anacostia Watershed Restoration Project. Community groups and schools frequently contribute to efforts to clean up streams throughout the watershed. The Sligo Creek stream valley is heavily used by local residents and visitors, and is one of the County's most important urban natural environments. The successes achieved thus far in Sligo Creek are setting the standard for other urban watersheds in and beyond our County, and reflect Montgomery County's emerging national leadership in stream restoration.

Sligo Creek Stream Condition, Habitat Conditions and Management Category Designation

Sligo Creek Watershed Management Category

Watershed Restoration Area

All of the Sligo Creek drainage area is designated as a Watershed Restoration Area. Efforts continue to implement phased retrofit projects throughout the watershed and activities are ongoing to monitor the success of fish re-introduction activities that have occurred over the last several years. Current monitoring results show that the re-established fish community is thriving and the first signs of successful reproduction are being seen in the 1996 data.

The Sligo Creek watershed has been targeted as an important part of the overall Anacostia watershed restoration effort and has been the focus of efforts to control urban pollutant loadings and restore habitat conditions where possible. Several unique opportunities existed within this watershed to modify two older flood control facilities and improve runoff controls in this heavily urbanized area. Stormwater flow control has been improved at these sites, and water quality controls are being added to reduce urban pollutant concentrations. The ability to achieve flow control has allowed successful stream restoration activities to occur in stream segments where it would otherwise have been infeasible due to very high runoff velocities.

Efforts to control urban runoff in this watershed are limited by the small number of feasible opportunities to modify old flow control structures, or establish new stormwater runoff controls at strategically located sites. Large areas of the watershed remain uncontrolled. To ensure lasting success in re-establishing a viable biological community, strong local stewardship of this watershed must become a central part of the daily activities of watershed residents and businesses.

• Implementation of a strong public education program to inform residents about watershed conditions, including pollution prevention education for residents and businesses.
• Continued implementation of Capital Improvement Program Stormwater Retrofit and Stream Restoration activities.

Maps
Land Cover	Impervious Area	Stream Condition	Management Categories

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