Baseline Water Quality at Rock Creek National Park, Washington, D.C.

WRD PROJECT #: MD192
PROJECT CHIEF: Anderson, Anita L.
BEGIN DATE: 01-December-1998
END DATE: 30-September-2001

Customers currently supporting the project:

U.S. Geological Survey

Problem

Urban development has had a dramatic impact on the chemical, biological and physical water quality of streams within the parks of the National Capital Region of the National Park Service. Rapid and widespread changes to land use and vegetation have increased the imperviousness of the watersheds. One result is greater stormwater runoff. Increases in population density in watersheds draining into parks have coincided with an increase in the amount of contaminants reaching their streams.

In Rock Creek Park, degraded water-quality and increased stormwater runoff have resulted in adverse impacts to aquatic biota and habitat; stream morphology; and hydraulic structures. Current conditions must be documented so the parks will have base data to use to evaluate future changes.

Objectives

To provide some of the data needed by park managers to plan protection and maintenance strategies for Rock Creek Park.

Approach

A set of synoptic surface-water samples will be collected during the summer of 1999 and base flow and high flow samples will be collected during the 1999 and 2000 water years. These samples will be analyzed for field parameters, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. Streambed-sediment samples will be collected 3 times in 1999 and will be analyzed for trace metals and synthetic organic compounds. A Rosgen Classification will be performed in 1999 on a selected reach of Rock Creek.