Section 10-A606. E-1.4 PRESERVING STEEP SLOPES AND STREAM VALLEYS

 

606.1Wooded hillsides and stream valleys provide beauty and visual relief in Washington, particularly in Upper Northwest and in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. Many of the city’s stream valleys have been preserved by the National Park Service, protecting local waterways and providing corridors for wildlife and recreation. But preservation alone has not fully safeguarded these areas. Development and tree removal on private properties near stream valley parks can reduce their natural, unspoiled character and cause erosion and water quality problems. Along some stream valleys, illegal dumping remains a problem. In some places, the streams themselves have been buried or diverted into stormwater culverts. 606.1

 

606.2A similar set of challenges is present on steep slopes, generally defined as slopes with a grade of 25 percent or more. As Map 6.3 indicates, such slopes are concentrated in protected areas like Rock Creek Park and the Potomac Palisades. But they are also present in neighborhoods like Forest Hills and Woodland-Normanstone, and on large sites like the St. Elizabeths Campus. In 1992, the District established a Tree and Slope Protection (TSP) Overlay Zone to reduce the alteration of terrain and removal of trees in steeply sloping and wooded areas. The overlay limits the total amount of each property that may be covered by buildings and impervious surfaces. Areas subject to the TSP Overlay are shown in Map 6.3. 606.2

 

606.3Policy E-1.4.1: Conservation of Steep Slopes

 

Strongly discourage development on steep slopes (i.e., greater than 25 percent), such as those found along stream valleys in Upper Northwest and Southeast DC. Planning and building regulations should ensure that any construction on such slopes is sensitively designed and includes slope stabilization measures. 606.3

 

606.4Policy E-1.4.2: Management of Uplands Along Stream Valleys

 

Protect stream valley parks by limiting construction, requiring sensitive design, and retaining vegetation on adjacent upland properties. Development of land draining to stream valleys shall be managed as needed to protect flora, fauna, and water quality; prevent erosion and siltation of streams; minimize intrusion of views from the parks; and retain a green buffer between the built environment and these natural areas. 606.4

 

606.5Policy E-1.4.3: Open Space Protection Along Stream Valleys

 

Preserve land adjacent to streams and ravines as densely vegetated open space. Natural drainage channels and buffer zones in these areas should be protected from the adverse effects of nearby urban uses. Particular focus should be given to areas adjacent to Rock Creek Park and to Watts Branch, Pope Branch, Oxon Run, Battery Kemble, and Glover-Archbold Parks.

 

606.6Policy E-1.4.4: Channelization of Streams

 

Retain streams and ravines in their natural condition, rather than constructing man-made channels. Where alteration is necessary, encourage design solutions which retain or recreate natural ecological values. 606.6

 

606.7Action E-1.4.A: Expand the Tree and Slope Protection Overlay

 

Work with neighborhood and community groups, homeowners and other landowners, and Advisory Neighborhood Commissions to identify additional areas where the Tree and Slope Protection (TSP) Overlay zone should be mapped. Such areas should generally abut streams or public open spaces and should have steep slopes, significant natural tree cover, and some potential for future development. Particular attention should be given to mapping the TSP Overlay on lands east of the Anacostia River. 606.7

 

Along some stream valleys illegal dumping remains a problem. In some places the steams themselves have been buried or diverted into stormwater culverts.

 

606.8Map 6.3: Steep Slopes and Areas Subject to Tree-Slope Overlays

 

http://planning.dc.gov/planning/frames.asp?doc=/planning/lib/planning/2006_revised_comp_plan/6_environprotection.pdf.

 

606.9Action E-1.4.B: Hillside Conservation Easements

 

Explore the use of land trusts and conservation easements as a tool for protecting steep slopes and hillside areas. 606.9

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.