Buried Stream Sees the Light of Day | National Geographic

what we’re trying to do is take a stream

what we’re trying to do is take a stream that really never needed to be piped

that really never needed to be piped

that really never needed to be piped where no construction occurred and bring

where no construction occurred and bring

where no construction occurred and bring that stream back to the surface we are

that stream back to the surface we are

that stream back to the surface we are in Northwest Washington DC we’re about

in Northwest Washington DC we’re about

in Northwest Washington DC we’re about three miles from the White House we’re

three miles from the White House we’re

three miles from the White House we’re about a mile from the border of Maryland

the idea back in the distant not so

the idea back in the distant not so distant past actually was that you know

distant past actually was that you know

distant past actually was that you know you had to get rid of storm water and

you had to get rid of storm water and

you had to get rid of storm water and you had to get rid of the potential for

you had to get rid of the potential for

you had to get rid of the potential for flooding and people didn’t really

flooding and people didn’t really

flooding and people didn’t really understand that that stream ecology or

understand that that stream ecology or

understand that that stream ecology or they didn’t really consider that to be

they didn’t really consider that to be

they didn’t really consider that to be that important

that important

that important so in our urban areas and in the suburbs

so in our urban areas and in the suburbs

so in our urban areas and in the suburbs a lot of streams were just put into

a lot of streams were just put into

a lot of streams were just put into pipes it has buried them for them in the

pipes it has buried them for them in the

pipes it has buried them for them in the pipes and this fundamentally altered the

pipes and this fundamentally altered the

pipes and this fundamentally altered the way the stream works and it made it not

way the stream works and it made it not

way the stream works and it made it not working very well

when we build these projects we start by

when we build these projects we start by filling the channel with that clean sand

filling the channel with that clean sand

filling the channel with that clean sand we use that as the working platform is

we use that as the working platform is

we use that as the working platform is the construction Hall Road and that haul

the construction Hall Road and that haul

the construction Hall Road and that haul road itself doubles as the area where

road itself doubles as the area where

road itself doubles as the area where the streambed will eventually be so we

the streambed will eventually be so we

the streambed will eventually be so we start at the downstream end where the

start at the downstream end where the

start at the downstream end where the water flows through and build structures

water flows through and build structures

water flows through and build structures moving upstream to the end of the

moving upstream to the end of the

moving upstream to the end of the project and then once we get to the end

project and then once we get to the end

project and then once we get to the end of the project we’ll break open the pipe

of the project we’ll break open the pipe

of the project we’ll break open the pipe and the water will begin to flow through

and the water will begin to flow through

and the water will begin to flow through the whole project

a conventional approach to this kind of

a conventional approach to this kind of restoration would be to cut the banks

restoration would be to cut the banks

restoration would be to cut the banks back and disturb a lot of the riparian

back and disturb a lot of the riparian

back and disturb a lot of the riparian zone this approach is called

zone this approach is called

zone this approach is called regenerative stream channels and they’re

regenerative stream channels and they’re

regenerative stream channels and they’re quite different than that old approach

quite different than that old approach

quite different than that old approach and that they are bent on spreading the

and that they are bent on spreading the

and that they are bent on spreading the water out to slow it down and filter it

water out to slow it down and filter it

water out to slow it down and filter it through sands and gravels it’s not going

through sands and gravels it’s not going

through sands and gravels it’s not going to be exactly like it was ninety hundred

to be exactly like it was ninety hundred

to be exactly like it was ninety hundred years ago and so we’re trying to do is

years ago and so we’re trying to do is

years ago and so we’re trying to do is make it as natural a system as we can so

make it as natural a system as we can so

make it as natural a system as we can so we’re doing adaptive management will be

we’re doing adaptive management will be

we’re doing adaptive management will be doing tweaking here and there for about

doing tweaking here and there for about

doing tweaking here and there for about three to five years after the project is

three to five years after the project is

three to five years after the project is completed to make changes to either take

completed to make changes to either take

completed to make changes to either take a little less stormwater in or change

a little less stormwater in or change

a little less stormwater in or change the structures a little bit to make sure

the structures a little bit to make sure

the structures a little bit to make sure that everything is flowing smoothly and

that everything is flowing smoothly and

that everything is flowing smoothly and that we don’t have any erosion problems

that we don’t have any erosion problems

that we don’t have any erosion problems we don’t have any flooding problems

we don’t have any flooding problems

we don’t have any flooding problems piping of streams is something that

piping of streams is something that

piping of streams is something that happens across the world and it’s not DC

happens across the world and it’s not DC

happens across the world and it’s not DC specific we do have a lot of streams

specific we do have a lot of streams

specific we do have a lot of streams that have been pipe unfortunately only a

that have been pipe unfortunately only a

that have been pipe unfortunately only a few streams have been delighted yeah

few streams have been delighted yeah

few streams have been delighted yeah once they’re buried they oftentimes are

once they’re buried they oftentimes are

once they’re buried they oftentimes are gone forever