Cabin John Creek is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 stream

Stream

A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...

 of the Potomac River

Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...

 in Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. The watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 covers an area of 26 square miles (67.3 km²). The headwaters of the creek originate in the city of Rockville

Rockville, Maryland

Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...

, and the creek flows southward for 10.9 miles (17.5 km) to the Potomac River.

The Cabin John Stream Valley Trail follows the course of the creek for 8.8 miles (14.2 km), passing through Cabin John Regional Park and Cabin John Local Park. The Union Arch Bridge

Union Arch Bridge

The Union Arch Bridge, also called the "Cabin John Bridge," is a historic masonry structure in Cabin John, Maryland. It was designed as part of the Washington Aqueduct and as a roadway bridge. The bridge construction began in 1857 and was completed in 1864. The roadway surface was added later...

 carries MacArthur Boulevard and the Washington Aqueduct

Washington Aqueduct

The Washington Aqueduct is an aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States, the Aqueduct was commissioned by Congress in 1852, and construction began in 1853 under the...

 over the stream about 1/4 mile before the creek flows through a culvert

Culvert

A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...

 under the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...

 and empties into the Potomac.

Water pollution

The Cabin John Creek watershed is highly developed

Suburbanization

Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...

, and as a result the water quality

Water quality

Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...

in the creek main stem and several tributaries is degraded. Montgomery County Government is formulating a long-term plan to improve water quality throughout the area.

Tributaries of Cabin John Creek

• Booze Creek
• Thomas Branch (also called Beltway Branch and Thomas Run)
• Congressional Branch
• Ken Branch
• Buck Branch
• Snakeden Branch (also called Snake Den Branch)
• Old Farm Creek
• Bogley Branch

External links

• Friends of Cabin John Creek Watershed