Installation of Regenerative Stormwater Conveyances at Milkhouse Run and Bingham Run

Bingham Run and Milkhouse Run have been damaged by stormwater. Over time, increasingly powerful and high-volume stormwater flows have scoured the banks of both streams, undercutting surrounding trees and other vegetation, and exposing utility lines, including sanitary sewer pipes. In addition, eroded soil from the banks has been carried downstream, damaging aquatic habitat. Instead of natural waterways characterized by step pools and surrounding vegetation, these tributaries now flow in severely eroded and deepened channels. Without intervention, the health of these tributaries will continue to deteriorate.

To protect these tributaries, DDOE and the NPS propose to install Regenerative Stormwater Conveyances (RSCs). RSCs utilize a series of shallow aquatic pools, riffle/weir/grade controls, native vegetation, and an underlying sand channel to absorb and control the flow of stormwater. These systems are designed to convey flows associated with extreme floods, such as a 100-year flood event, in a manner that minimizes erosion. There are many benefits of RSCs. They include providing a base-flow channel, trapping sediment and nutrients, recharging groundwater beneath stream beds, and creating wildlife habitat.

Contact Information

Michael Buckler
Environmental Protection Specialist

Rock Creek Park
3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW
Washington, DC 20008

202-895-6076