Piney Branch Wetland Restoration

, You are standing on what remains of Rock Creek's Piney Branch stream valley. The valley was once a forested, 2,500-acre network of springs, seeps, and wetlands that reached almost to Takoma Park, Maryland. Today, houses, apartment buildings, and streets cover about 95 percent of the former stream valley area, shown on the 19th century map (right)., The creation of Piney Branch Parkway in the 1930s buried what was called the "Holmead Swamp," named after early Washington DC landowner Anthony Holmead. This wetland was a rare example of a "magnolia bog," characterized by the sweetbay magnolia tree, sphagnum moss, and other plants that flourish in the acidic wet soil., The marsh-like area behind this fence appeared just a few decades ago, as underground water from the buried wetland forced its way to the surface. Recently, the ERM Foundation partnered with the Rock Creek Songbirds initiative and the National Park Service to remove non-native plants covering this area and preventing the growth of beneficial species. Volunteers from ERM, a global leading provider of environmental, health, safety, and sustainability services, planted trees, shrubs, and wildflowers that are native to our region., Note: The orange tinted water is the result of a naturally-occurring iron in the soil that stimulates iron-feeding bacteria. Though unsightly, it is harmless to wildlife., Piney Branch is part of Rock Creek Park, a national park in the heart of our nation's capital. Please help keep it clean by putting all trash in the receptacle or taking it home.,