Green Branch (Patuxent River tributary) facts for kids
The Green Branch is a small river, or stream, located in Prince George's County, Maryland. It's an important part of the Upper Patuxent Watershead, which is like a big bowl that collects all the rain and snowmelt and sends it into the Patuxent River. The Green Branch flows right through a special natural area called Governor Bridge Natural Area / Patuxent River Park. It then joins the Patuxent River just south of a place called Governor's Bridge. This stream has carved a narrow valley through a type of sand called Aquia greensand between Crain Highway and where it meets the Patuxent.
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About the Green Branch River
The Green Branch is like a natural drain for many communities and shopping areas in Bowie, Maryland. It collects rainwater and runoff from neighborhoods such as Heather Hills, Ensleigh, and Governors Green. It also gathers water from commercial spots like Bowie Gateway Center and Prince George's Stadium. All this water eventually flows into the Green Branch and then into the Patuxent River.
Protecting the River: Environmental Concerns
One of the biggest problems for the Green Branch is something called non-point sediment. This means dirt, sand, and tiny bits of rock that wash into the stream from many different places, not just one pipe or source.
Why Sediment is a Problem
This sediment often comes from construction sites where the ground is exposed. It also comes from storm water runoff, which is rain that flows over lawns and streets. This runoff can carry chemicals like extra fertilizer and pet waste directly into the stream. When a lot of water flows quickly into the stream, it can cause the riverbanks to wash away, a process called erosion. This erosion adds even more dirt and sediment to the water. Too much sediment can make the water cloudy, harm fish and other creatures, and fill up the riverbed.
Helping Fish Travel Upstream
In 2008, a large pipe, called a culvert, was causing big trouble for fish in the Green Branch. This culvert was under a road in the Governor Bridge Natural Area. Fish like herring, alewife, and American eel couldn't swim through it to reach their spawning grounds (places where they lay eggs) further upstream in the Patuxent River.
Luckily, the Patuxent Riverkeeper, a group that works to protect the river, has been working with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fish Passage Program to fix this problem. They have even received money from organizations like the Fish America Foundation and Chesapeake Bay Trust to help make sure fish can travel freely up and down the Green Branch again.
