Hickey Run is a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

stream of the

Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid-Atlantic states, Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Ch ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Course

The historic

headwaters The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...

of the stream originate in the Langdon area in Northeast Washington (in the southwest corner of the Langdon Park Community/Recreation Center), however at present this portion of the stream and its tributaries are enclosed in underground pipes and

culvert A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe (fluid conveyance), pipe, reinforced concrete or other materia ...

s. The daylight portion of the stream can be seen south of New York Avenue, in the National Arboretum, and the stream continues southeast about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the Anacostia, which drains to the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

and the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

. The watershed area of Hickey Run is about 2.08 mi² (5.4 km²).U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Chesapeake Bay Field Office. Annapolis, MD
''Hickey Run, Washington, D.C. Watershed and Stream Assessment.''
December 2005. Report No. CBFO-S05-01.AWRP

Accessed 2013-11-18. In the 19th century, before

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

, the stream network consisted of the Hickey Run main stem and 15 tributaries, totaling over . Today there are 6 tributaries along with the main stem, totaling 2.3 mi (3.7 km).

Water pollution

Hickey Run is in a highly urbanized area and its

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

has been rated as poor by government agencies. The watershed has a large amount of

impervious surface Impervious surfaces are mainly artificial structures—such as pavements (roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, as well as industrial areas such as airports, ports and logistics and distribution centres, all of which use considerable ...

s, which along with the piped tributaries, has led to large amounts of

urban runoff Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater, landscape irrigation, and car washing created by urbanization. Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots and sidewalks) are constructed during land development. During rain, storms, and other Precipitati ...

(

stormwater Stormwater, also written storm water, is water that originates from precipitation (storm), including heavy rain and meltwater from hail and snow. Stormwater can soak into the soil ( infiltrate) and become groundwater, be stored on depressed lan ...

)

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

in the stream, including oil and grease, and

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

. The D.C. Department of the Environment has ongoing monitoring and public education activities for Hickey Run, and has plans for

stream restoration Stream restoration or river restoration, also sometimes referred to as river reclamation, is work conducted to improve the environmental health of a river or stream, in support of biodiversity, recreation, flood management and/or landscape develop ...

projects.District of Columbia. Department of the Environment
''DDOE Stormwater Activities.''
Accessed 2007-12-05. Other agencies assisting in Hickey Run improvements include the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership, the National Arboretum and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

References

External links

Photographs of Hickey Run"The Fate of Hickey Run of the Anacostia Watershed"
- Video/graphic presentation of development history in the watershed
Anacostia Watershed SocietyAnacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership
{{coord, 38.908142, -76.957469, region:US-DC_type:river, display=title Anacostia River Rivers of Washington, D.C.

Course

Water pollution

See also

References

External links