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In 2011 DOEE partnered with the National Park Service to restore two degraded streams, Milkhouse Run and Bingham Run, in Rock Creek Park along Oregon Avenue in Northwest D.C. These two waterways were severely degraded by stormwater flowing from nearby development.
The project not only restored these two waterways, it was also the first time the District utilized an innovative restoration technique called a regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC). The approach, also known as a coastal plain outfall, uses a mixture of stone weirs and shallow pools to create a stable stream channel along with a sandy soil mixture that facilitates groundwater recharge. The restored streams have been shown to be effective at reducing erosive forces of stormwater, removing pollutants, and restoring stream ecology. Since the completion of these sites, the District has gone on to install RSCs at several of other degraded stormwater outfalls.