Sligo Creek

Sligo Creek is a free-flowing tributary of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River. (The Anacostia, in turn, feeds into the Potomac River and eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean via Chesapeake Bay.) The creek is approximately 8.3 statute miles (13.4 km) long, with a drainage area of about 11.6 mi² (38 km²).

Geography

The creek rises in the Kemp Mill section of Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland, and joins with Northwest Branch near the City of Hyattsville in Prince George's County. The lower portion of the creek has been channelized. Elevations in the subwatershed range from 450 feet (137 meters) above sea level to 35 feet (10.6 metres) 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 square mile. 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% is wetlands.

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.

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.

History

Sligo Creek was named after the crossroads named "Sligo" founded in the mid 19th century by Irish immigrant workers on the C&O Canal. Sligo crossroads was located at Colesville Road and the 7th Street Pike, currently the corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Ave in Silver Spring, Maryland. 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 Columbia Union College), 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 at http://www.fosc.org/GlenSligo.htm and http://www.fosc.org/PoolRoom.htm Sligo Creek served as the inspiration and title for Sligo River Blues, a song by Takoma Park guitarist, John Fahey. See http://www.fosc.org/Fahey.htm

External links

* [http://www.fosc.org/fosc.htm Friends of Sligo Creek]
* [http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/deptmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/csps/watersheds/csps/html/sligo.asp Sligo Creek - Watershed Assessment] - Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
* [http://www.anacostia.net/maps/summary_sligocreek.htm Anacostia Watershed Society Network]
* [http://www.mc-mncppc.org/trails/trails_maps/trailmap_pdfs/Sligo_Trail.pdf Sligo Creek Trail map; covers only Carole Highlands to WRRP] - Montgomery County Dept. of Parks
* [http://www.pgparks.com/places/maps/anacostia-2002.pdf 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

ee also

*List of Maryland rivers