Project Overview NOAA Trust Resources NOAA Field Observations Field Observation Summary Elk River Big Elk Creek Little Elk Creek Mill Creek and tributaries Gravelly Run Dogwood Run Laurel Run Potential Contaminant Sources GIS & Mapping GIS Data List Map Products Acronyms & Definitions Contacts Other Resources References Links

Project Overview > NOAA Field Observations > Field Observation Summary

Field Observation Summary

In general, the physical conditions of Little Elk Creek and its tributaries, Mill Creek, Dogwood Run, Laurel Run, and Gravelly Run, are quite good in the areas observed during this field visit.  The riparian vegetation in most areas consists of a healthy mix of shrubs and trees.  In a few areas, where the water courses passed through residential or agricultural areas the riparian vegetation is degraded and has been replaced with manicured, low-growing vegetation.  This type of vegetation can be problematic for several reasons:

• Short vegetation does not provide shade;
• The absence of trees means that the opportunity for natural recruitment of large woody debris into the water system is missing;
• The opportunity for insects to fall into the water providing food for fish is limited;
• The filtering capacity of the riparian zone for mitigating contaminant transport into the water is reduced;
• The evapotranspiration capacity of the riparian zone is reduced, which increases peak flows in the creek; and
• Manicured lawns or agricultural crops typically receive fertilizers and/or pesticides which can enter the water via accidental direct application, runoff, or subsurface flow.

Observed Potential Barriers to Fish Passage (Click on the map to see a larger version.)

Several flow restrictions were observed:

• Laurel Run at Zeitler Road, where erosion below a ford has created a drop of several feet;
• Dogwood Run at SR 545, where a decrepit utility crossing has created a drop of about one foot downstream of the road;
• Mill Creek at US 40, where erosion has caused a drop of about one foot at the downstream outlet of the culvert; and
• Little Elk Creek at the Spectron Superfund site, where there is an 8 to 10 foot dam.

Finally, the water quality in Mill Creek may be degraded by discharges from the Maryland Sand & Gravel Superfund site based on observations of iron-staining in the water.  It is unknown (but reports may be available to check) whether there are other contaminants in Mill Creek.