Piney Branch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Piney Branch
Construction photo of the 16th Street Bridge over Piney Branch
Country	United States
Region	Washington, DC
Physical characteristics
River mouth	Rock Creek (Potomac River)
Length	0.75 miles (1.21 km)
Basin features
Basin size	2,500 acres (10 km2)

Piney Branch is a small stream, or tributary, that flows into Rock Creek in Washington, D.C.. It's special because it's the biggest stream that stays completely inside Washington, D.C.

This stream is an important part of the city's natural areas. It has a long history, from ancient times when people used its rocks to make tools, to today, where efforts are made to keep its waters clean.

Where does Piney Branch flow?

Piney Branch is located in the northwest part of Washington, D.C. It flows right next to the Piney Branch Parkway. The stream eventually joins Rock Creek near where the parkway meets Beach Drive. This area is inside the beautiful Rock Creek Park.

After joining Rock Creek, the water travels to the Potomac River. From there, it flows into the large Chesapeake Bay. Piney Branch is a "first order" stream, which means it doesn't have any smaller streams flowing into it. It's about 0.75 miles (1.21 kilometers) long. The stream is usually about 12 feet (3.7 meters) wide and only about 4 inches (10 centimeters) deep.

What is the Piney Branch watershed like?

A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single stream or river. The Piney Branch watershed covers about 0.48 square miles (1.24 square kilometers). Most of this area is covered by homes, with some light industrial zones. About five percent of the watershed is forested parkland, which helps filter the water.

The stream is crossed by the famous 16th Street Bridge. This bridge was the first of its kind in the country to use a special design called a parabolic arch.

A look into Piney Branch's past

Long, long ago, even before cities were built, the valley around Piney Branch was a very important place. People used to find special rocks called quartzite cobbles here. These rocks were perfect for making tools.

One of these ancient tool-making sites is known as the "Piney Branch Quarry Site." It's located on a hill overlooking the stream. Archeologists, who study human history through digging up old things, first looked at this site in the late 1800s. More recently, in 2006, new studies found pieces of rock left over from tool-making. They also found parts of tools, like a large ax.

In the mid-1800s, the Piney Branch valley was home to the very first road through this area. It was called Piney Branch Road or 14th Street Road. This narrow country path went down into the valley, crossed a small bridge, and then climbed up to what is now the Crestwood neighborhood.

Later, the Piney Branch Parkway was built along the stream. Money for this road was approved in 1907, but it wasn't built until the mid-1930s. This was when the New Deal programs provided funding and workers during a difficult economic time.

Images for kids

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  Construction photo of the 16th Street Bridge over Piney Branch