Potomac R1ver Gorge

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Potomac R1ver Gorge IHE ~ PENNSYLVANI A. 5ouRCE OF ARLINGT"ON C.OUNI'{, crrv Of FAU.S CHuRtl\, PoTO MAC R1vER GoRGE WASHINGfott, of l).C . WATERS.UPPLY / WEST VIRGIN IA M ARYLAND, VIRG JNIA AND WAsr11NGTON DC. 1"11 e. V11.1.AGE. A MAP SY HARY BELCHER. FDR. NATUR.£ WisER.YMCY OF J TIE. PC'l'oMAC,Mt> / ©THE NAfUR.E CoNSEl?YANC.Y, 2()0ll. ~ / T HE. POTOMAC R.IVER l="ROM !=A1RFA1'. STONE., 'vi. VA., To T>iE. CHESAPEAKE. f!>llY THE PoToMAC GoRGE. 1s >. "FALL ZONE" WHE.R£ THE RoCK.Y PlE.DMONr MEETS THE SANDIER DEPOSIT5 Of ~E 1'TLAATIC CMST"AL PL/\IN. \JORl<ING ToGlm!ER, 'Wr:. CAN PR.o~CT THE. DIVERS ITY CF LI FE. ON EARTH AND Wit ISLAND AND1llE. Biu..Y GoAr T1V111- ENR.101 THE QuAUTY OF l.Ji:-E, Now AND Fo~ fuil.JRE GE.NE:RAllONS. Bea.r Islo:nd. is co-own.ed. by the. Not.10110.\ Po.rl<. Servic.e 01\.<fTne No.ture Cor\serVQY\Cy. l,\e.re. the Bill~ Goa.t Tro..i\ (Sed:iOYI. }\) i5 Ye.ry rU!J9ed. · MARYLAND be pre.po.red! Sections B rutd C. b_!I Cavde.roc.I\ o..-e. e.o.sil~r. LEGEND ---------TR.AI L ROAD Rou GH \JATER. I M ILE N POTOMAC GORGE (ON$ERVMION AAfA - Roci<.. CuMBIN~ 1<J~f A'f MAT\\EJI.. GoR.Gf; ·r ~ PLE.A$E. C.UM~ SAFE.LY ANO WITH C.ARE fOR. 11{( CLtfFS S•,1NG W1LPFLOWEP..S IN sarrrs ~~ H ...ruR.E. ~ESEJWE ... NO TURKEY RUN PAR.I<. LEAVE iNO TRACE \.JA$H INGTON , D.C. More than two million people visit the Potomac Gorge parklands each year, raising the risk of our "loving the parks t o death." How can you help protect wildlife and natural areas when you visit? PLAN AHEAD, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO SHARE OUR TRAILS KE !O:P OUR l?.R.l<S CLE.AN: PACI'.. 11 IN ~ PACK. rT O UT No matter what your passion - hiking, Be safe and courteous to others. Where biking, climbing, paddling, or fishing - practice it bicyclists are allowed, control your speed, pass Y\RG\N \A with care for the Potomac Gorge's sensitive with care, yield to slower-moving visitors, and resources. Knowing the parks' site-specific sound a warning when approaching others. When regulations will help protect the places you visit. stopping or resting, move to the right. STICK TO TRAILS MANAGE YOUR DOG AND DOG WASTE Gu>c1GEroWN, FouNDED lN 17Sl, Staying on marked trails is a simple way to Controlling your dog keeps people, wildlife, WA.S 1' HNDQ, PORT UNTIL ~E. EWO.,Y 1800s protect the Gorge's natural areas. Walking off and other dogs safe. Keep your dog on leash and CllESA.PEAKE. »ID OHIO CAW.L NAilONAL trail causes erosion, tramples plants, and under your command. Bring a plastic bag to f\ISTORI CM. PARK, C,EORGE.1'bwN increases the chance that invasive weeds will remove your pet's waste. Learn and respect where Vl51TORS CE~ ~ Cl\NlilL Sol\T replace native vegetation. Avoid areas that are dogs are pr ohibited. R11>ES "'"'0 L KS l·'t closed for revegetation or signed as sensitive. PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT N~TWE l>.MERI CANS LIV£D A AND FISHED IN ~E GOii.GE. LEAVE IT AS YOU FIND IT Pick up all trash - yours and others - and ~ FoR THOUSAN - The Potomac Gorge is home to precious and carry it home with you. Litter is unsightly, OF YEARS '' BE.FoRE. irreplaceable natural and cultural resources, and dangerous, and attracts scavengers that can E.UROPE El(f>LORE~....,..,,..k we all have a responsibility to help preserve the harm wildlife. Even biodegradable materials such AAAIV£t:S area's integrity. Climbing on hist oric structures, as apple cores can take years to break down. IN l<DO~ - -.- picking flowers, or leaving trash or dog waste spoils everyone's experience. For more information on Leave No Trace, call 800-332-4100 • or visit the websit e: www.LNT.org. RoSSLYN ( METlt,O STATION) The heart of the Potomac Gorge is also known as Mather Gorge, named This riverside prairie at Great Falls, Virginia, results from periodic river flooding, after Stephen T. Mather, first director of the National Park Service. a natural disturbance that creates and sustains rare habitats. Flowering dogwood, a native forest understory species in our Specially adapted to withstand river The Potomac Gorge is home to Clinging precariously to the cliff's edge, Brightly colored in its immature form, a reptile known as the region, is being decimated by an introduced fungal disease. flooding and scouring, rare plants like myriad bird species, from mig­ Virginia pine is a characteristic species of five-lined skink is a regular sight in the Potomac Gorge. riverbank goldenrod take root and ratory songbirds to our national the rare bedrock terrace woodland of Great survive in rock crevices. emblem, the bald eagle. Falls and Bear Island. WHAT IS THE POTOMAC GORGE? BE SAFE AND Over thousands of years, natural forces at dangerous rapids known as Great Falls - the of the longest, steepest fall zones on FOLLOW THE PARK RULES work in the Potomac Gorge have created a water level drops 60 feet in a half-mile stretch. the Atlanti c slope. Despite its location in deep, narrow valley. Here, rainwater the Washington, D.C. metro region, the • It is unlawful to enter the Potomac Rive r While a fall zone is characteristic of many gathered from an approximately 11 ,500- Potomac Gorge has one of the and C&O Canal from National Park lands U.S. east coast rivers, the Potomac has one square mile area upstream is funneled continent's most intact fall zones, for wading, swimming, or bathing. The river through a constricted passageway, where unaffected by major dams and largely is extremely dangerous at all water levels, plants have adapted the ability to survive in unspoiled by riverfront development. especially near dams, falls, and rapids. the face of intense flood scouring. River currents are strong and unpredictable. Large rainstorms and melting snows A crossroads for plants and animals, this upriver regularly produce powerful •Stay on marked trails. Bicycles and area also supports a many different flooding in the Gorge. At times , horses are allowed only on designated habitats, including scoured bedrock river floodwaters rise high enough to wash trails. Check with each park for specific terraces, mature upland woods, rich over the Gorge's 50- foot cliffs, but even rules before you vi sit. floodplain forests, streams, and wetlands. lesser floods can scour the river's • Pet owners must keep dogs on leash in It is this diversity of life that makes the ancient bedrock terraces, filling side all park areas and must remove their pets ' Gorge a nationally significant conservation channels and inland ravin es . Moreover, waste. Dogs are prohibited on Olmsted area. floods was h away years or decades of Island, Bear Island, and the Billy Goat Trail plant growth, rearrange soils and plants, The Potomac Gorge is located in the "fall Section A. and deposit new sediments and seeds zone," where the river passes from the l ~ in their place. • Damaging, disturbing, collecting , or hard , erosion-resistant bedrock of the removing natural, cultural, archaeological, Piedmont to the softer, sandy deposits of ~ The Potomac Gorge is a dynamic, and paleontological resources is prohibited. the Atlantic Coastal Plain_Over this 15- mile C\il highly disturbed environment, yet this corridor, the river drops from an elevation The unique geology, geography, and hydrology of the disturbance is a natural process and • Keep off archaeologica and historic re­ of 140 feet to 10 feet above sea level. At its Potomac Gorge produce its array of rare species and critical to the extraordinary natural sources unless explicitly permitted by parks. steepest point - the fast-flowing, diversity of the Gorge. natural communities. • Keep wildlife wild; don't feed the an imals. • Poisonous snakes and other wildlife live WHO OWNS AND CARES FOR THE POTOMAC GORGE? in the park. Watch where you put your hands and feet, particularly in rocky areas. We're all responsible for the Gorge. Much of Public parkland in the Gorge includes the public infrastructure runs through the Gorge the Potomac Gorge's 15-mile shoreline is National Park Service's Chesapeake & Ohio - including water, sewer, gas, and power • Hunting and trapping in park areas are public parkland, where park managers Canal National Historical Park and George lines - providing critical services to the D.C. prohibited; fishing is subject to state or D.C. protect natural and cultural resources and Washington Memorial Parkway, which metro region population. While much of the licensing regulations. provide recreational opportunities for current administers Turkey Run Park, Great Falls Gorge's immediate riverfront property is • Camping and campfires are permitted and future generations to enjoy. The river Park, and Glen Echo Park . In Virginia, the "protected" by being publicly owned and not only in designated areas. itself belongs to the State of Maryland, Fairfax County Park Authority ove rsees vulnerable to private development, it still extending back to colonial times. However, Riverbend Park and Scotts Run Nature faces a number of threats. • Alcohol, firearms, and metal detectors are responsibility for long-term stewardship of the Preserve, and there are several county prohibited in park areas. Gorge belongs to all who visit or live around stream valley parks on both sides of the river. this important natural area. Two private nonprofit conservation groups are active in the Gorge. The Nature Conservancy co- owns Bear Island, home of the popular Billy Goat Trail, with the National SELECTED Park Service.
Recommended publications
  • Marilandica, Summer/Fall 2002
    MARILANDICA Journal of the Maryland Native Plant Society Vol. 10, No. 2 Summer/Fall 2002 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marilandica Journal of the Maryland Native Plant Society The Maryland Native Volume 10, Number 2 Summer/Fall 2002 Plant Society ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (MNPS) is a nonprofit organization that uses education, research, and Table of Contents community service to increase the awareness and appreciation of Native Woody Flora of Montgomery County native plants and their habitats, By John Mills Parrish leading to their conservation and Page 3 restoration. Membership is open to ~ all who are interested in Maryland’s MNPS Field Botany Updates native plants and their habitats, preserving Maryland’s natural By Rod Simmons, Cris Fleming, John Parrish, and Jake Hughes heritage, increasing their knowledge Page 8 of native plants, and helping to ~ further the Society’s mission. In Search of Another Orchid Species By Joseph F. Metzger, Jr. MNPS sponsors monthly meetings, Page 11 workshops, field trips, and an ~ annual fall conference. Just Boil the Seeds By James MacDonald Page 13 Maryland Native Plant Society ~ P.O. Box 4877 MNPS Contacts Silver Spring, MD 20914 www.mdflora.org Page 15 ~ Some Varieties of Andropogon virginicus and MNPS Executive Officers: Andropogon scoparius By M.L. Fernald, Rhodora, Vol. 37, 1935 Karyn Molines-President Page 16 Louis Aronica-Vice President Marc Imlay-Vice President Roderick Simmons-Vice President Jane Osburn-Secretary Jean Cantwell-Treasurer MNPS Board Of Directors: Carole Bergmann Blaine Eckberg Cris Fleming Jake Hughes Carol Jelich Dwight Johnson James MacDonald Joe Metzger, Jr. Lespedeza repens John Parrish Mary Pat Rowan Submissions for Marilandica are welcomed. Word documents are preferred but Louisa Thompson not necessary.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Trips Guide Book for Photographers Revised 2008 a Publication of the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs
    Field Trips Guide Book for Photographers Revised 2008 A publication of the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied in any manner whatsoever. 1 Preface This field trips guide book has been written by Dave Carter and Ed Funk of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society, NVPS. Both are experienced and successful field trip organizers. Joseph Miller, NVPS, coordinated the printing and production of this guide book. In our view, field trips can provide an excellent opportunity for camera club members to find new subject matter to photograph, and perhaps even more important, to share with others the love of making pictures. Photography, after all, should be enjoyable. The pleasant experience of an outing together with other photographers in a picturesque setting can be stimulating as well as educational. It is difficullt to consistently arrange successful field trips, particularly if the club's membership is small. We hope this guide book will allow camera club members to become more active and involved in field trip activities. There are four camera clubs that make up the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs McLean, Manassas-Warrenton, Northern Virginia and Vienna. All of these clubs are located within 45 minutes or less from each other. It is hoped that each club will be receptive to working together to plan and conduct field trip activities. There is an enormous amount of work to properly arrange and organize many field trips, and we encourage the field trips coordinator at each club to maintain close contact with the coordinators at the other clubs in the Alliance and to invite members of other clubs to join in the field trip.
    [Show full text]
  • Potomac Gorge Side 2
    Discover the Potomac Gorge: A National Treasure On the outskirts of Washington, D.C., the Potomac River passes through a landscape of surprising beauty and ecological significance. Here, over many millennia, an unusual combination of natural forces has produced a unique corridor known as the Potomac Gorge. This 15-mile river stretch is one of the country’s most biologically diverse areas, home to more than 1,400 plant species. Scientists have identified at least 30 distinct natural vegetation communities, several of which are globally rare and imperiled. The Gorge also supports a rich array of animal life, from rare invertebrates to the bald eagle and fish like the American shad. In total, the Potomac Gorge provides habitat to more than 200 rare plant species and natural communities, making it one of the most important natural areas in the eastern United States. © Gary P. Fleming P. Fleming © Gary © Gary P. Fleming The heart of the Potomac Gorge is also known as Mather Gorge, named This riverside prairie at Great Falls, Virginia, results from periodic river flooding, after Stephen T. Mather, first director of the National Park Service. a natural disturbance that creates and sustains rare habitats. © Gary P. Fleming Fleming P. © Gary Payne © Harvey P. Fleming © Gary LeClere © Jeff © Gary P. Fleming P. Fleming © Gary Flowering dogwood, a native forest understory species in our Specially adapted to withstand river The Potomac Gorge is home to Clinging precariously to the cliff’s edge, Brightly colored in its immature form, a reptile known as the region, is being decimated by an introduced fungal disease.
    [Show full text]
  • 8. Terrain and the Battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862
    6. The Incision History of a Passive Margin River, the Potomac Near Great Falls By Paul Bierman,1 E-an Zen,2 Milan Pavich,3 and Luke Reusser1 Introduction done at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Ca., in This field trip focuses on the emerging significance of collaboration with Robert Finkel. complex geomorphic processes that have operated in a pas- sive margin setting in the mid-Atlantic region (fig. 1A). The application of cosmogenic exposure dating to understanding the responses of rivers to Quaternary tectonic, eustatic, and Regional Framework: The Complexity of climatic variations is providing unprecedented information Passive Margin Settings about landscape histories. This trip presents new information about the response of the Potomac River to regional variabili- Passive margins, the trailing edges of continental plates, ty in sea level and climate over the late Pleistocene and are geomorphically complex. Despite the absence of active Holocene. We present a regional framework, field observa- tectonics, passive margins exhibit features such as great tions of the morphology of the Potomac River gorge below escarpments (Matmon and others, 2002; Bank and others, Great Falls (fig. 1B), and data on the age relations of strath 2001), river gorges, and marine terraces (Flint, 1940; Cooke, terraces associated with the Potomac River gorge. 1952). New analytical techniques, such as fission track ther- mochronology (Naeser and others, 2001) and cosmogenic iso- tope exposure dating (Bierman and others, 2002) are provid- Acknowledgments ing insights into the processes that control passive margin evolution. Passive margins exhibit both stable and active fea- We want to recognize the exceptional contributions of tures.
    [Show full text]
  • Corridor Analysis for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail in Northern Virginia
    Corridor Analysis For The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail In Northern Virginia June 2011 Acknowledgements The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions to this report: Don Briggs, Superintendent of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail for the National Park Service; Liz Cronauer, Fairfax County Park Authority; Mike DePue, Prince William Park Authority; Bill Ference, City of Leesburg Park Director; Yon Lambert, City of Alexandria Department of Transportation; Ursula Lemanski, Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program for the National Park Service; Mark Novak, Loudoun County Park Authority; Patti Pakkala, Prince William County Park Authority; Kate Rudacille, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority; Jennifer Wampler, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and Greg Weiler, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The report is an NVRC staff product, supported with funds provided through a cooperative agreement with the National Capital Region National Park Service. Any assessments, conclusions, or recommendations contained in this report represent the results of the NVRC staff’s technical investigation and do not represent policy positions of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission unless so stated in an adopted resolution of said Commission. The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the jurisdictions, the National Park Service, or any of its sub agencies. Funding for this report was through a cooperative agreement with The National Park Service Report prepared by: Debbie Spiliotopoulos, Senior Environmental Planner Northern Virginia Regional Commission with assistance from Samantha Kinzer, Environmental Planner The Northern Virginia Regional Commission 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 510 Fairfax, VA 22031 703.642.0700 www.novaregion.org Page 2 Northern Virginia Regional Commission As of May 2011 Chairman Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • Arlington County, Virginia (All Jurisdictions)
    VOLUME 1 OF 1 ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA (ALL JURISDICTIONS) COMMUNITY NAME COMMUNITY NUMBER ARLINGTON COUNTY, 515520 UNINCORPORATED AREAS PRELIMINARY 9/18/2020 REVISED: TBD FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY NUMBER 51013CV000B Version Number 2.6.4.6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 1 Page SECTION 1.0 – INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 The National Flood Insurance Program 1 1.2 Purpose of this Flood Insurance Study Report 2 1.3 Jurisdictions Included in the Flood Insurance Study Project 2 1.4 Considerations for using this Flood Insurance Study Report 2 SECTION 2.0 – FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS 13 2.1 Floodplain Boundaries 13 2.2 Floodways 17 2.3 Base Flood Elevations 18 2.4 Non-Encroachment Zones 19 2.5 Coastal Flood Hazard Areas 19 2.5.1 Water Elevations and the Effects of Waves 19 2.5.2 Floodplain Boundaries and BFEs for Coastal Areas 21 2.5.3 Coastal High Hazard Areas 21 2.5.4 Limit of Moderate Wave Action 22 SECTION 3.0 – INSURANCE APPLICATIONS 22 3.1 National Flood Insurance Program Insurance Zones 22 SECTION 4.0 – AREA STUDIED 22 4.1 Basin Description 22 4.2 Principal Flood Problems 23 4.3 Non-Levee Flood Protection Measures 24 4.4 Levees 24 SECTION 5.0 – ENGINEERING METHODS 27 5.1 Hydrologic Analyses 27 5.2 Hydraulic Analyses 32 5.3 Coastal Analyses 37 5.3.1 Total Stillwater Elevations 38 5.3.2 Waves 38 5.3.3 Coastal Erosion 38 5.3.4 Wave Hazard Analyses 38 5.4 Alluvial Fan Analyses 39 SECTION 6.0 – MAPPING METHODS 39 6.1 Vertical and Horizontal Control 39 6.2 Base Map 40 6.3 Floodplain and Floodway Delineation 41 6.4 Coastal Flood Hazard Mapping 51 6.5 FIRM
    [Show full text]
  • Discover the Potomac Gorge
    Discover the Potomac Gorge: A National Treasure n the outskirts of Washington, D.C., O the Potomac River passes through a landscape of surprising beauty and ecological significance. Here, over many millennia, an unusual combination of natural forces has produced a unique corridor known as the Potomac Gorge. This 15-mile river stretch is one of the country’s most biologically diverse areas, home to more than 1,400 plant species. Scientists have identified at least 30 distinct natural vegetation communities, several of which are globally rare and imperiled. The Gorge also supports a rich array of animal life, from rare invertebrates to the bald eagle and fish like the American shad. g g n n In total, the Potomac Gorge provides habitat to i i m m e e l l F F more than 200 rare plant species and natural . P P y y r r communities, making it one of the most important a a G G © © natural areas in the eastern United States. The heart of the Potomac Gorge is also known as Mather Gorge, named This riverside prairie at Great Falls, Virginia, results from periodic river flooding, after Stephen T. Mather, first director of the National Park Service. a natural disturbance that creates and sustains rare habitats. g g g n n n i i i e n m m m e r y e e e l l l a e l F F F P C . y e P P P e L y y y v f r r r r f a a a a e G G H G J © © © © © Flowering dogwood, a native forest understory species in our Specially adapted to withstand river The Potomac Gorge is home to Clinging precariously to the cliff’s edge, Brightly colored in its immature form, a reptile known as the region, is being decimated by an introduced fungal disease.
    [Show full text]
  • 46 Pola Negri in 1927
    Courtesy LofC, Prints & Photo Div, LC-DIG-ggbain-37938 Pola Negri in 1927 46 ARLINGTON HISTORICAL MAGAZINE Pola Negri Slept Here? Unraveling the Mystery of a Screen Siren's Stay in Arlington BY JENNIFER SALE CRANE With Arlington having few Hollywood connections to boast of, save For­ rest Tucker, Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLaine, and Sandra Bullock, the story about a modest stone bungalow nestled in the Gulf Branch stream valley off of Military Road is curious indeed. According to a long-held local legend, silent film star Pola Negri once stayed there. Local accounts have varied- some say the house was rented by Negri as her "Virginia hideaway," others think it was built as Negri and Rudolph Valen­ tino's love nest, and played host to Hollywood-style pool parties. The cozy bungalow at 3608 N. Military Road, 1 with quite a few additions and alterations, is now home to the Gulf Branch Nature Center, established in 1966 and operated by Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. The swimming pool, filled in and planted with a garden, can still be identified by the exposed segments of its curved concrete walls. The Nature Center's connection to the early Hollywood star was investi­ gated in the 1970s by ComeliaB. Rose, Jr., a founding member of the Arlington Historical Society. Rose's documentation leaves a few questions unanswered. But despite the lack of unequivocal primary source evidence, the story of Pola egri and the Gulf Branch Nature Center has become an important part of the oral tradition of Arlington County.
    [Show full text]
  • Parking for the C&O Canal
    Parking for the C&O Canal Below is a list of parking lots that provide access to the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Please obey all posted parking signage. The list runs from east to west — Georgetown to Cumberland. Click on individual links for more detail and driving directions. Washington, D.C. • Georgetown Streets and Garage Parking: near Mile Marker 0.0 • Georgetown University Parking: near Mile Marker 1.6 Montgomery County • Fletchers Cove Parking: Mile Marker 3.1 Large lot off of Canal Road NW, near Fletchers Boathouse and Abner Cloud House. • Chain Bridge Parking: Mile Marker 4.4 Parking spots off of Clara Barton Parkway, near Chain Bridge. • Lock 5 Parking: Mile Marker 5 Small lot off of Clara Barton Parkway, near Lock 5 and the Brookmont Bridge. • Lock 6 Parking: Mile Marker 5.4 Small lot off of Clara Barton Parkway, near Lock 6 and Lockhouse 6. • Sycamore Island Parking: Mile Marker 6.4 Small lot along Clara Barton Parkway near the access to Sycamore Island. • Lock 7 Parking: Mile Marker 7 Small lot off Clara Barton Parkway, near Lock 7 and Lockhouse 7. • Lock 8 Parking: Mile Marker 8.4 Small lot off Clara Barton Parkway, near Lock 8 and Lockhouse 8. • Lock 10 Parking: Mile Marker 8.8 Small lot off Clara Barton Parkway, near Lock 10 and Lockhouse 10. • Carderock South Parking Lot: Mile Marker 10.4 Large lot. Follow signs off Clara Barton Parkway to Carderock parking. Near Billy Goat Trail C and Carderock climbing area. • Carderock North Parking: Mile Marker 10.9 Large lot.
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Resources Management Plan Background…
    ARLINGTON COUNTY NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCE INVENTORY AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN BACKGROUND… PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN (2005) “CREATE A NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY AND TO DEVELOP A MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION” • Bring together various plans & practices to protect the County’s natural resources. • Develop a classification system of the various types of natural resources. • Define lines of authority & responsibilities among various agencies. • Create an additional GIS Layer to identify significant natural resources. NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCE INVENTORY: LAYING THE GROUNDWORK…2005-2008 ARLINGTON’S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY…. Partnership development… PROJECT ELEMENTS: WATER RESOURCES GEOLOGY NATIVE FLORA TREE RESOURCES INVASIVE PLANTS URBAN WILDLIFE GIS WATER RESOURCES… SPRINGS AND SEEPS STREAM MAPPING WETLANDS CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS GEOLOGICAL FEATURES… SCENIC WATERFALLS OUTCROPS HIGH VALUE EXPOSURES HISTORIC QUARRIES NATIVE FLORA… LOCALLY-RARE PLANTS NATIVE FLORA STATE-RARE PLANTS SPECIMEN PREPARATION NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES & TREE RESOURCES… CHAMPION TREES SIGNIFICANT TREES FOREST TYPES PLANT COMMUNITIES INVASIVE PLANTS… 500 acres of parkland mapped… GOOSEBERRY FIVE-LEAVED AKEBIA ENGLISH IVY “Invasive plants represent the greatest current threat to the natural succession of local native forests in Arlington County” URBAN WILDLIFE: LEPIDOPTERA AVIFAUNA AMPHIBIANS ODONATA REPTILES MAMMALS GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) … Mapping Examples: Native Plant Communities Donaldson Run Park
    [Show full text]
  • ` Measuring U-Pb Zircon Ages in the Bear Island Granodiorite By
    ` Measuring U-Pb Zircon Ages in the Bear Island Granodiorite By: Joseph Raum Advisor: Dr. Aaron Martin GEOL394 Spring 2008 Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………3 I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..3 II. Geologic Setting A. Location and Extent…………………………………………………………………...4 B. Geologic History and Age Constraints………………………………………………..4 III. Methods………………………………………………………………………………………..5 IV. Data A. BIG-VA……………………………………………………………………………......6 B. BIG-MD……………………………………………………………………………….6 V. Calculation of Error……………………………………………………………………………7 VI. Interpretations and Discussions………………………………………………………….……7 VII. Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………..8 VIII. Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………...9 References………………………………………………………………………………………..10 Figures……………………………………………………………………………………………12 Tables…………………………………………………………………………………………….32 Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………36 2 ABSTRACT In contrast to the adjacent Sykesville formation which has a large density of intrusive suites, the Mather Gorge formation within the Central Appalachian Potomac terrane has only a few igneous bodies. The Bear Island granodiorite outcrops at several locations within the 50 km2 migmatitic Bear Island domain, located in the regional Piedmont. Samples collected from two sites, one in Virginia and one in Maryland, were processed using mineral separation techniques in order to extract and ultimately date zircons by U-Pb methods. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses were performed at
    [Show full text]
  • Nature Photography
    Nature Photography Front Page | Staff | Instruction | Galleries | Forums | Portfolios | Gear | Links | Membership The Mighty Potomac and Mather Gorge Text and photography copyright © Joe Rossbach. All rights reserved. Separating Maryland and Virginia, the mighty Potomac River takes a dramatic plunge through Mather Gorge in Great Falls National Park. The river drops over 70 feet in less than one quarter of a mile through raging waters and house sized rocks before snaking its way past 100 foot cliffs and into Washington D.C. and then finally the Chesapeake Bay. The scenery in the park is amazing and the wildlife is not so bad either. Come June, the Great Blue Herons return to the park and dazzle visitors with their daredevil fishing tactics below the big falls in Mather Gorge. The park is laced with trails for the adventurous photographer including the Billy Goat Trail on the Maryland side and the River Trail on the Virginia side of the Park. The Billy Goat trail climbs across rugged rocks and steep cliffs bordering the Potomac River and is not to be missed when visiting the Park. In the warmer months, brave Kayakers surf the rapids below the falls and if you’re lucky you may even catch them taking free fall drops over the largest drops. A sight to be seen! Places To Shoot There are a few favorite places of mine to shoot in the Park. On the Virginian side, there are 3 great overlooks that give an aerial view of Mather Gorge. Sunrise is my favorite time to shoot on the Virginia side as you will most likely have the park to yourself and probably get some nice mist rising off the river in the early morning hours.
    [Show full text]