Sligo Hike #1: Wheaton to Wayne Ave. Sunday, April 6, 2003 The first half of a hike of the length of Sligo Creek Link to the description of the second half - Sligo Hike #2 Written by Brian Sprague. Photos by Sally Gagne and Clair Garman.

After a brief walk from the Wheaton Metro stop we began our hike the intersection of Reedie Drive and Bucknell Drive. Here the Wheaton branch of Sligo Creek emerges out from underneath the road as a small trickle (at least on this dry spring day) in a residential neighborhood. Flanked by grass, it serves as the median for Bucknell Drive for a couple blocks south, until the creek enters another pipe at Prichard Road and remains submerged below the road for a number of blocks. Along the way one can observe numerous storm drains which carry the runoff water from the road, parking lots, and residences to the creek underground.

At Windham road the creek re-emerges from a pipe below the road into a concrete channel, still bearing down the middle of the street. The concrete banks rise steeply to meet a small buffer zone of grass devoid of trees or shrubs.

Continuing south past Plyers Mill Road, some cedar trees have been planted along the grass banks of the channel. We observed a variety of wildflowers including henbit, violets, and speedwell as we reached Evans Parkway Park. At Evans Road, the stream is no longer channelized, becoming much wider with trees and shrubs on its banks. South of Evans we walked along the west side of the stream, bordered by a large grass field full of wild onion, as well as henbit and speedwell. Blackberry bushes and the invasive porcelain berry were found along the banks of the stream.

The first major road we encountered was Dennis Avenue. Just prior to Dennis a tributary enters Wheaton branch from the West. The grassy field adjacent to Dennis Ave is being considered as a site for tree planting. There are also demonstration holding ponds planned at various sites along Dennis Avenue.

South of Dennis are three large holding ponds which serve to control the flow of water down the Wheaton branch of Sligo Creek. The first was constructed in 1978, while the others were created in the late 80s. Notice that they are built around large underground pipes which form walking paths through the ponds. We observed numerous signs of animal life in the ponds, including a beaver dam and beaver trails, geese, mallards, and turtles.

In the middle of the ponds is a large drain which provides further control when the water reaches very high levels. The concrete structure also has a water depth marker on its side for observation from the pond edge. Through the holding pond area we began to notice lesser celandine, an invasive member of the buttercup family, which was prevalent throughout our hike.

We walked on the trails through the holding ponds to the south side where the creek emerges along Woodman Avenue. Here the creek appears to be in better condition than the preceding north section. The banks are somewhat stabilized by shrubs, and trees grow between the road and the creek, providing a buffer zone. Looking closely, one can find a memorial marker along this section. There is also evidence of engineering restoration projects (such as artificial substrate and weirs) designed to increase habitat in the stream by creating more varied flow patterns.

South from Woodman Avenue the creek enters a wooded area. The path along the creek runs through the dense woods and stops along a recently constructed vernal pool. In it we found a wood frog and many spotted salamander eggs. Also evident through this section are many efforts to control and prevent erosion along the banks of the stream. We saw erosion control tubes, matting along the banks, and the placement of large rocks along sharp curves to prevent the erosion of soil under trees along the banks. Although this section of the creek is heavily encumbered with vines, particularly English Ivy, we did find many native species such as mayapple, trout lily, and leatherleaf viburnum.

Halfway between Dennis Avenue and the Beltway, in this wooded section of the creek, we find the confluence of Wheaton Branch and the main branch of Sligo creek. Note that due to the various engineering structures along these branches (such as holding ponds), the flow from each branch at the confluence can be very different, particularly during and after rainstorms or snowmelt periods. Through this wooded section we visited a site rumored to host a pileated woodpecker nest in the past, and we observed nest building activity by a pair of tufted titmouse.

Approaching the Beltway crossing, we found a small holding pond and plantings of winter holly and barberry designed to control runoff water from the highway. The area around the beltway is unfortunately also known for its trash: large amounts find their way from the highway to the creek. On the brighter side, swallows have taken to nesting on the underside of the bridge, proving the resourcefulness of nature's creatures! Below the beltway and adjacent to Flora Lane, cold water flows down from a Metro station outlet and enters the creek. Chinquapin, river birch, and spring beauty all were discovered in this section. South of Sligo Creek golf course, which runs along the east side of Sligo Creek Park, we observed a memorial to Walt Penney, the bicyclist killed by a reckless driver along Sligo Creek Parkway. Invasive yellow buckeye and yellow groove bamboo stands were found in just north of Colesville Road. Yellow groove bamboo can be distinguished from switchcane bamboo, which is native to the area, by the facts that yellow groove is taller, thicker in diameter, has yellow grooves running vertically, and has a crooked stem at its base. We also learned to distinguish grape vines from English Ivy by the appearance of the bark along the two vines. Directly north of Colesville Road is a section of the park in which a large vine removal effort was undertaken, with striking results.

South of Colesville Road we found some recent sycamore tree plantings of in an open area along the creek. Along this section towards Wayne Avenue we found a large norway spruce and spicebush as we walked along past the tennis courts and through this residential area. Reaching Wayne Avenue, our group concluded the afternoon hike: a great way to spend the afternoon!.

Link to the description of the second half - Sligo Hike #2