Sligo Creek
Encyclopedia
Sligo Creek is a free-flowing tributary
of the Northwest Branch
of the Anacostia River
in Maryland
. (The Anacostia, in turn, feeds into the Potomac River
and eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean
via Chesapeake Bay
.) The creek is approximately 9.1 miles (14.6 km) long, with a drainage area
of about 11.6 square miles (30 km²).
section of Silver Spring
in Montgomery County
and joins with Northwest Branch near the city of Hyattsville
in Prince George's County
. The lower portion of the creek has been channelized. Elevation
s in the subwatershed range from 450 feet (137 m) above sea level
to 35 feet (10.7 m) at the confluence
with Northwest Branch; the average gradient for the course of the creek is 0.72%.
Contributing streams that flow into the creek include Wheaton Branch, Comstock Branch, Takoma Park Branch, and Long Branch.
Sligo Creek is one of the most heavily urbanized
subwatersheds in the Anacostia watershed
, with a population density of 7,081 people per mi2. 75% of the watershed is in Montgomery County, 20% is in Prince George's County, and 5% is in the District of Columbia
. Less than 15% of the subwatershed is undeveloped, and only 10% is forested. Less than 0.01% of the area is wetland
s.
From its source to the confluence with the Northwest Branch, the creek crosses through the communities of Silver Spring
, Wheaton
, Takoma Park
, Carole Highlands
, Chillum
and Hyattsville
. In these towns, the banks of the creek are in many stretches maintained as public parkland, with grassy lawns and playing fields.
The Sligo Creek Trail
, a hiker-biker trail, runs along the creek from Wheaton to the confluence, where it connects with the Anacostia trail system. An automobile parkway
runs along many parts of the creek in Montgomery County.
workers on the C&O Canal. It may have been named after County Sligo in Ireland. The crossroads was located at Colesville Road and the 7th Street Pike, currently the corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue
in Silver Spring. At the time of the Civil War
, Sligo had a toll gate on the 7th Street Pike, an inn and a post office. A half mile from the Sligo crossroads Colesville Road crosses Sligo Creek.
Over the years, Sligo Creek has served many purposes for area residents, including powering grist mills and as a water source. In the Takoma Park section of the creek (near Washington Adventist University), the remains of a dam and associated building foundations for the Sligo Creek Waterworks can still be seen. From 1900 to 1930, the waterworks served the city of Takoma Park, as well as (after its sale in 1919 to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
) Silver Spring
, Kensington
, and Bethesda
.
Another dam, located where Flower Avenue crosses Sligo Creek, served Sligo Mill which was located where the current New Hampshire Avenue
crosses Sligo Creek. Sligo Mill was built in 1812 by investors that included several members of the prominent Maryland Carroll family
. In addition to milling grain for local farmers, Sligo Mill distilled whiskey. The mill was demolished in the 1920s.
Overlooking the dam and millpond for Sligo Mill on the right bank of Sligo Creek, the Glen Sligo Hotel and Wildwood Amusement Park were built in 1900. The hotel and amusement park ceased operations in 1903 following an interesting series of events documented.
Sligo Creek served as the inspiration and title for "Sligo River Blues", a song by Takoma Park
guitarist John Fahey
, who popularized the area amongst folk artists.
Another prominent folk guitarist, Al Petteway
, composed "Sligo Creek" while living in the Takoma Park area. This Scots-influenced guitar tune was later featured as the theme song of The National Parks, a PBS miniseries directed by Ken Burns
.
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...
of the Northwest Branch
Northwest Branch Anacostia River
Northwest Branch Anacostia River is a free-flowing stream in Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland. It is a tributary of the Anacostia River, which flows to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
of the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
in 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 Anacostia, in turn, feeds into 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...
and eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
via Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
.) The creek is approximately 9.1 miles (14.6 km) long, with a drainage area
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...
of about 11.6 square miles (30 km²).
Geography
The creek rises in the Kemp MillKemp Mill, Maryland
Kemp Mill is a census-designated place and an unincorporated census area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,956 at the 2000 census....
section of Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
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...
and joins with Northwest Branch near the city of Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
in Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
. The lower portion of the creek has been channelized. Elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
s in the subwatershed range from 450 feet (137 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
to 35 feet (10.7 m) at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with Northwest Branch; the average gradient for the course of the creek is 0.72%.
Contributing streams that flow into the creek include Wheaton Branch, Comstock Branch, Takoma Park Branch, and Long Branch.
Sligo Creek is one of the most heavily urbanized
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
subwatersheds in the Anacostia 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...
, with a population density of 7,081 people per mi2. 75% of the watershed is in Montgomery County, 20% is in Prince George's County, and 5% is in the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Less than 15% of the subwatershed is undeveloped, and only 10% is forested. Less than 0.01% of the area is wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s.
From its source to the confluence with the Northwest Branch, the creek crosses through the communities of Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, Wheaton
Wheaton, Maryland
Wheaton is an unincorporated, urbanized area in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, north of Washington, D.C., northwest of Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton , a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of...
, Takoma Park
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
, Carole Highlands
Carole Highlands, Maryland
Carole Highlands, Maryland, USA is an unincorporated community partially overlapping the municipal boundaries of the City of Takoma Park. The neighborhood is located inside the Capital Beltway, about a mile from the District of Columbia...
, Chillum
Chillum, Maryland
Chillum is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 34,252 at the 2000 census...
and Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
. In these towns, the banks of the creek are in many stretches maintained as public parkland, with grassy lawns and playing fields.
The Sligo Creek Trail
Sligo Creek Trail
Sligo Creek Trail is a paved hiker-biker trail running along Sligo Creek in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Most of the trail passes through tree-filled parkland. The trail and surrounding park is a popular place for locals to jog, walk, bicycle, roller-skate, and take their children to the...
, a hiker-biker trail, runs along the creek from Wheaton to the confluence, where it connects with the Anacostia trail system. An automobile parkway
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
runs along many parts of the creek in Montgomery County.
History
Sligo Creek was named after the crossroads named "Sligo" founded in the mid 19th century by Irish immigrantIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
workers on the C&O Canal. It may have been named after County Sligo in Ireland. The crossroads was located at Colesville Road and the 7th Street Pike, currently the corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue
Georgia Avenue
Georgia Avenue is a major north-south artery in Northwest Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland. Within the District of Columbia and a short distance in Silver Spring, Maryland, Georgia Avenue is also U.S. Route 29...
in Silver Spring. At the time of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Sligo had a toll gate on the 7th Street Pike, an inn and a post office. A half mile from the Sligo crossroads Colesville Road crosses Sligo Creek.
Over the years, Sligo Creek has served many purposes for area residents, including powering grist mills and as a water source. In the Takoma Park section of the creek (near Washington Adventist University), the remains of a dam and associated building foundations for the Sligo Creek Waterworks can still be seen. From 1900 to 1930, the waterworks served the city of Takoma Park, as well as (after its sale in 1919 to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission provides safe drinking water and wastewater treatment for Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland. It was established on May 1, 1918. It is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility in the United States. The WSSC serves about 1.8 million...
) Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, Kensington
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
, and Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
.
Another dam, located where Flower Avenue crosses Sligo Creek, served Sligo Mill which was located where the current New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Avenue is a diagonal street in Washington, D.C., beginning at the Kennedy Center and extending northeast for about 5 miles and then continuing into Maryland where it is designated Maryland Route 650. New Hampshire Avenue, however, is not contiguous...
crosses Sligo Creek. Sligo Mill was built in 1812 by investors that included several members of the prominent Maryland Carroll family
Carroll family
The Carroll family of Maryland is a prominent political family in the History of the United States, or, more correctly, a group of distantly related families...
. In addition to milling grain for local farmers, Sligo Mill distilled whiskey. The mill was demolished in the 1920s.
Overlooking the dam and millpond for Sligo Mill on the right bank of Sligo Creek, the Glen Sligo Hotel and Wildwood Amusement Park were built in 1900. The hotel and amusement park ceased operations in 1903 following an interesting series of events documented.
Sligo Creek served as the inspiration and title for "Sligo River Blues", a song by Takoma Park
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
guitarist John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
, who popularized the area amongst folk artists.
Another prominent folk guitarist, Al Petteway
Al Petteway
Al Petteway is an American guitarist known primarily for his acoustic fingerstyle work. He won a Grammy award in 2005 for his rendition of "The Thornbirds".-Biography:...
, composed "Sligo Creek" while living in the Takoma Park area. This Scots-influenced guitar tune was later featured as the theme song of The National Parks, a PBS miniseries directed by Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
.
External links
- Friends of Sligo Creek
- Sligo Creek - Watershed Assessment - Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
- Sligo Creek Trail map; covers only Carole Highlands to WRRP - Montgomery County Dept. of Parks
- Trail map; covers the Prince George's County portion of Sligo Creek Trail plus other connecting trails in the Anacostia system - Prince George's County Dept. of Parks