Donaldson Run

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Donaldson Run is a stream in Arlington County, Virginia. From its source near Marymount University, Donaldson Run flows on a northeastern course and empties into the Potomac River within the Federal parklands of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Donaldson Run is surrounded predominantly by forests.

Contents 1 History 2 Parks Along Donaldson Run 3 Wildlife 4 Attractions 5 References

[edit] History

Donaldson Run was named after Andrew Donaldson, one of the early farm owners along the stream, and superintendent of the glebe of the local Christ Church. It was Donaldson's duty to prevent the theft of timber by trespassers. Prior to the Civil War, the Donaldson family initially transported their farm produce for sale in Georgetown via the Potomac River by using this stream. After the Civil War, and the creation of Military Road, land transportation became more frequent.

In the late 1800s, this stream served as a popular swimming hole and boat landing. It was first named Rock Run in the early 1800s, and later renamed Swimming Landing Run. By 1900, the name of the stream had been changed to Donaldson Run.

In 1961, the Arlington County Master Plan was devised, which had provisions which were to pave over the upper portions of Donaldson Run to make way for an extension of Yorktown Boulevard, which would have turned those portions of the stream into a storm sewer. However, the project was not undertaken due to public concern for the environment.

Over the years, land along the banks of Donaldson Run has been set aside as parkland.

[edit] Parks Along Donaldson Run

• Lee Heights Park (Arlington County Parks and Recreation)
• Zachary Taylor Park (Arlington County Parks and Recreation)
• Donaldson Run Nature Area (Arlington County Parks and Recreation)
• Potomac Overlook Regional Park (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority)
• George Washington Memorial Parkway (US National Park Service)

[edit] Wildlife

A variety of trees grow in the forested areas along Donaldson Run, including tulip poplars, oaks, and beech. However foreign greenery such as English ivy, Japanese honeysuckle, bamboo, garlic mustard have taken over much of the native undergrowth.

The stream does not support an abundance of aquatic wildlife due to its acidity, a result of fertilizer and other chemical runoff from neighborhood lawns and the nearby Washington Golf and Country Club, and because a leaf mulch pile is stored near the stream's headwaters. However, Donaldson Run is the home to crayfish and eels.

In the forest along the banks of Donaldson Run, there are a number of mammal species including deer, possums, raccoons, woodchucks, foxes, squirrels, flying squirrels, bats, shrews and moles.

[edit] Attractions

• There is a well-cleared nature trail along Donaldson Run through Zachary Taylor Park with several scenic footbridges.
• There is also a hiking trail through Donaldson Run Nature Area which leads to the Potomac River, where hikers can pick up the Potomac Heritage Trail which parallels the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
• Donaldson Run flows down the Potomac Palisades, making a 30 foot drop before reaching the Potomac.
• Potomac Overlook Park (along the southern bank of the stream) has a nature center and a number of exhibits featuring local wildlife and local history.

[edit] References

• Bellevue Forest History

Potomac River system Cities and towns | Bridges | Islands | Tributaries | Variant names District of Columbia | Maryland | Pennsylvania | Virginia | West Virginia Streams shown as: Major tributaries • subtributaries • (subsubtributaries) • (subsubsubtributaries)

Tidal Potomac River Gulf Branch | Donaldson Run | Windy Run | Spout Run | Rock Creek | Tiber Creek | Rocky Run | Washington Channel | Anacostia River • Watts Branch • Hickey Run • Northwest Branch Anacostia River • (Sligo Creek) • Northeast Branch Anacostia River • (Paint Branch) | Four Mile Run | Oxon Creek | Hunting Creek | Broad Creek | Henson Creek | Swan Creek | Piscataway Creek | Little Hunting Creek | Dogue Creek | Accotink Creek • Daniels Run | Pohick Creek | Pomonkey Creek | Occoquan River • Bull Run • Broad Run • Cedar Run | Neabsco Creek | Powells Creek | Mattawoman Creek | Chicamuxen Creek | Quantico Creek | Little Creek | Chopawamsic Creek | Tank Creek | Aquia Creek | Potomac Creek | Nanjemoy Creek | Port Tobacco River | Pope's Creek (Maryland) | Gambo Creek | Piccowaxen Creek | Upper Machodoc Creek | Cuckold Creek | Wicomico River | Monroe Creek | Mattox Creek | Pope's Creek (Virginia) | St. Marys River | Yeocomico River | Coan River | Hull Creek Upper Potomac River North Branch Potomac River | South Branch Potomac River | Town Creek | Little Cacapon River • North Fork Little Cacapon River • South Fork Little Cacapon River | Fifteenmile Creek | Sideling Hill Creek | Cacapon River • Lost River • Trout Run • Capon Springs Run • Dillons Run • Edwards Run • Mill Branch • North River • (Grassy Lick Run) • (Tearcoat Creek) • (Bearwallow Creek) | Sir Johns Run | Warm Spring Run | Tonoloway Creek • Little Tonoloway Creek | Sleepy Creek • Meadow Branch | Licking Creek | Cherry Run | Back Creek • Hogue Creek • Isaacs Creek • Tilhance Creek | Little Conococheague Creek | Conococheague Creek • Back Creek | Opequon Creek • Abrams Creek • Mill Creek • Middle Creek • Tuscarora Creek (West Virginia) | Antietam Creek | Shenandoah River | Little Catoctin Creek | Catoctin Creek (Virginia) | Catoctin Creek (Maryland) | Tuscarora Creek (Maryland) | Monocacy River • Rock Creek • Marsh Creek • Toms Creek • (Middle Creek) • Double Pipe Creek • (Big Pipe Creek) • (Little Pipe Creek) • Carroll Creek • Linganore Creek • Bush Creek • Ballenger Creek • Bennett Creek | Little Monocacy River | Goose Creek • Little River | Broad Run (Virginia) | Sugarland Run | Broad Run (Maryland) | Seneca Creek | Difficult Run | Cabin John Creek | Dead Run | Little Falls Branch | Pimmit Run | Rock Run | Watts Branch Shenandoah River North Fork Shenandoah River • Cedar Creek | South Fork Shenandoah River • North River • (Middle River) • South River North Branch Potomac River Stony River | Abram Creek | Savage River | Georges Creek | New Creek | Limestone Run | Warrior Run | Wills Creek • Brush Creek • Little Wills Creek | Evitts Creek | Patterson Creek • Mill Creek | Dans Run | Green Spring Run South Branch Potomac River North Fork South Branch Potomac River • Mill Creek • Seneca Creek | South Fork South Branch Potomac River • Kettle Creek | Lunice Creek | Mill Run | Mill Creek | Big Run | Buffalo Creek Lakes and reservoirs Lake Accotink | Lake Anne | Lake Artemesia | Lake Bernard Frank | Lake Braddock | Breckenridge Reservoir | Brushy Fork Lake | Burke Lake | Dalecarlia Reservoir | Georgetown Reservoir | Jennings Randolph Lake | Kingman Lake | Little Seneca Lake | McMillan Reservoir | Mount Storm Lake | Lake Needwood | Sleepy Creek Lake | Stony River Reservoir | Tidal Basin | Trout Pond | Warden Lake