Tenmile Creek is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or 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 drain the surrounding drai ...

stream of

Little Seneca Creek Little Seneca Creek is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 stream in Montgomery County, Maryland, roughly northwest of Washington, D.C. Geography The ...

in Montgomery County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Course

The

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

of the stream originate in Thompsons Corner area of the county, about northwest of Clarksburg, and the creek flows south for about , to

Little Seneca Lake Little Seneca Lake is a reservoir located near the Boyds community in Montgomery County, Maryland. Overview The surface area of the lake is 505 acres (2.04 km2). The average depth is 24.7 feet (7.5 m) with a maximum depth of 68 feet (21 m ...

, a reservoir built on Little Seneca Creek. Little Seneca Creek drains to the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

and the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

Water quality and land use issue

The Tenmile Creek watershed is described as one of the highest quality stream systems in Montgomery County, according to government studies. It is a drinking water source as part of the Little Seneca system, an emergency

water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...

for the metropolitan

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

area. The creek main stem is extensively forested and the watershed contains some agricultural land. However, the basin is bisected by an interstate highway, I-270, and in the late 1980s the county began planning for additional land development in the Clarksburg area. In 1994 the county government had designated a portion of the watershed as a "special protection area" (SPA) to protect

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 ...

by requiring builders to install extensive controls for stormwater runoff. A follow-up study found that after construction of several projects, water quality in the Little Seneca basin was degraded, despite the SPA requirements. In April 2014, the Montgomery County Council set additional limits on development projects in order to protect the quality of the creek and adjacent habitat. Later that year, developers filed suit against the county, claiming that the county "illegally limited construction on its property." The U.S. District Court in Maryland dismissed the suit in August 2017. The district court's dismissal was affirmed by the

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maryland ...

on November 29, 2018.. Docket no. 17-2112.

References

External links

Detailed environmental studies of the Tenmile Creek area
- Montgomery County Planning Board Rivers of Montgomery County, Maryland Rivers of Maryland Tributaries of the Potomac River Land use {{Maryland-river-stub

Course

Water quality and land use issue

See also

References

External links