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  There are many miles of streams and rivers in the Potomac Watershed. These stream corridors perform a number of valuable functions and can be very complex ecosystems. These ecosystems include the land, animals, plants and waters surrounding them and perform a number of functions such as modulating stream-flow, providing terrestrial and aquatic habitat, and removing pollutants from runoff from the surrounding uplands. The vegetation and soil characteristics of stream corridors are often different from those of the surrounding lands and are able to support a higher level of specie density, diversity and productivity. As we change the land uses surrounding these corridors, we change the dynamics of these ecological systems. We change the natural rate of stream flow, of sediment movement, temperature and the chemical and biological processes dependant upon the stream corridor. The cumulative effects of these changes affect the ecosystems surrounding the corridor. These changes include the decreased ability to store water (leading to flooding), degradation of water quality, loss of recreational opportunities, and loss of terrestrial and aquatic habitat. Here is some evidence of bank under-cutting, a result of high velocity stream flow as a result of development upstream. |
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