Mattawoman Creek

Mattawoman Creek
Freshwater-tidal estuary of Mattawoman Creek
Mouth	Potomac River
Location	Charles and Prince George's counties, Maryland, USA
Length	30.0 miles (48.3 km)
Mouth elevation	0 feet (0 m)

Mattawoman Creek is a 30.0-mile-long (48.3 km)^[1] coastal-plain tributary to the tidal Potomac River with a mouth at Indian Head, Maryland, 20 miles (32 km) downstream of Washington, D.C. It comprises a 23-mile (37 km) river flowing through Prince George's and Charles counties and a 7-mile (11 km) tidal-freshwater estuary in Charles County. About three-fourths of its 94-square-mile (240 km²) watershed lies in Charles County, with the remainder in Prince Georges County immediately to the north.

Mattawoman appears on Capt. John Smith's circa-1608 map as Mataughquamend, an Algonquian compound translated as “where one goes pleasantly.”^[2] Today, Mattawoman Creek is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as impaired under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act for excess nutrients, sediment, and loss of living resources.^[3][4] At the same time, because it is the southernmost Potomac River freshwater estuary in Maryland,^[5] Mattawoman has escaped much of the degradation associated with urbanization spreading from Washington, D.C. It retains noteworthy biodiversity.

Assessments of fish communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay system by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources find the Mattawoman estuary to be the most productive of sampled tributaries for migratory fish.^[6] Especially abundant are anadromous alewife, blueback herring and American shad and semi-anadromous white and yellow perch. The largemouth bass, a resident gamefish that supports an active recreational fishery in the tidal freshwater Potomac River and its tributaries, also achieves high concentrations in the estuary.^[7][8][9] On the basis of fish assessments, Maryland fisheries biologists have concluded that^[6]

“Mattawoman represents as near to ideal conditions as can be found in the northern Chesapeake Bay, perhaps unattainable in other systems, and should be protected from overdevelopment.”

The estuary supports extensive freshwater tidal marshes that are partially protected as Maryland Wildlands and as Natural Environment Areas. Palustrine wetlands are concentrated in the broad stream valley of the fluvial reaches, where a site with the greatest species richness of amphibians and reptiles in Maryland has been identified by the Department of Natural Resources.^[10]

Mattawoman drains the town of Indian Head, the town of Bryans Road, and most of Waldorf, the largest community in Charles County. Its watershed remains over 50% forested but is approaching a 10% impervious cover,^[11] often cited as a threshold for significant degradation as measured by water quality and species diversity.^[12] Continued loss of forest and increases in impervious cover are anticipated,^[11] as most of the watershed in Charles County falls within a designated development district, which at about 83 square miles (210 km²)^[13] (214 km²) is larger than Washington D.C. (61 square miles; 158 km²). With respect to projected growth, the Mattawoman Creek Watershed Management Plan authored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers notes that^[11]

“[t]hese intense development practices would have severe repercussions on the biological community and would decrease the habitat quality within the estuary.”

The quality of Mattawoman’s living resources are acknowledged by Charles County government,^[14] while the juxtaposition of high quality and high vulnerability to development are recognized by state^[15] and federal agencies.^[11] For example, the Mattawoman Creek Watershed Management Plan states:^[11]

“The Mattawoman Creek represents an important natural resource, with a diverse network of forests, tributaries, and wetlands, providing tremendous fish and wildlife habitat. The ecological integrity of the Mattawoman is at risk from current and future development pressures within the watershed.”

The juxtaposition of value and vulnerability has caused the creek and its watershed to become a focal point for regional^[16][17] and local^[18][19] conservation organizations that work to restore the Chesapeake Bay in the face of growing urbanization, which studies find contribute to the decline of the Bay.^[20]

Proposals for two four-lane highways that would cross the fluvial stream, and the expected attendant development, have generated debate. The first, the Western Waldorf Bypass, is one of three alternatives being considered by state and federal agencies for the U.S. 301 Waldorf-Area Transportation Improvements Project.^[21] This highway would divide lengthwise about one-half of the Mattawoman watershed. The second, for which controversial^[22] wetlands permit applications have been submitted, is a proposed extension of Charles County’s Cross County Connector, which would cross the width of the watershed.

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, Mattawoman Creek has also been known by the following names.

• Mataughquamend
• Matawoman Creeke
• Matawomen Creeke
• Mattawomans Creek
• Mattawomen Creek
• Pangayo
• Saint Thomas Creeke
• Zachia Swamp

See also

• List of Maryland rivers

References

External links

• Mattawoman Creek Watershed
• Stream data
• USGS 01658000 MATTAWOMAN CREEK NEAR POMONKEY, MD

v t e Waters of Maryland Bays/Estuaries Assawoman Chesapeake Chincoteague Eastern Fishing Herring Isle of Wight Mallows Newport Pocomoke Sinepuxent Tangier Rivers Anacostia Annemessex (Big) Annemessex (Little) Back Bird Blackwater Blackwater (Little) Bohemia Bush Casselman Chester Chicamacomico Choptank Choptank (Little) Christina River Corsica Elk Front Gunpowder Hawlings Jones Falls Magothy Magothy (Little) Manokin Middle Miles Monocacy Monocacy (Little) Nanticoke North East Patapsco Patuxent Pocomoke Port Tobacco Potomac Rhode St. Martin St. Marys Sassafras Savage Severn South Susquehanna Transquaking Tred Avon Warwick West Wicomico (Potomac) Wicomico Wye Wye East Youghiogheny Creeks/Runs/Streams Antietam Alloway Ballenger Bear (Patapsco) Bear (Sideling Hill) Bear (Youghiogheny) Bennett Big Pipe Bodkin Bread and Cheese Broad (Choptank) Broad (Potomac) Broad (Susquehanna) Broad Run Budds Cabin John Carroll Catoctin Catoctin (Little) Chicamuxen Collington Branch Conococheague Conococheague (Little) Conowingo Cuckold Curtis Deep Run Deer Dividing Double Pipe Dry Seneca Dueling Dundee Evitts Fifteenmile Fishing Flintstone Frog Mortar Furnace Georges Great Seneca Green Branch Greys Gwynns Falls Harris Henson Herring Run Honga Indian (Anacostia) Indian (Patuxent) Israel Laurel Run Licking Linganore Little Falls Branch Little Pipe Little Seneca Lyons Main Marley Marsh Marshyhope Mattawoman Meekins Middle Minnehaha Branch Moores Run Muddy Branch Nanjemoy Nassawango Northeast Branch Anacostia River Northwest Branch Anacostia River Octoraro Owens Oxon Paint Branch Parsons Piney Piscataway Pomonkey Principio Rock (Potomac) Rock Run Rockburn Branch Roland Run Romney St. Leonard Saltpeter Sams Creek Sellman Seneca (Middle) Seneca (Potomac) Sideling Hill Slaughter Sligo Stony Swanson Ten Mile Toms Tonoloway Town (Patuxent) Town (Potomac) Town (Tred Avon) Towson Run Trappe Tuckahoe Turville Tuscarora (Monocacy) Tuscarora (Potomac) Tuscarora (Little) Watts Branch Wills Winters Run Lakes Allen Pond Artemesia Centennial Deep Creek Elkhorn Bernard Frank Jennings Randolph Kittamaqundi Little Seneca Needwood Quarry Lake Roland Youghiogheny Reservoirs Dalecarlia Liberty Loch Raven Piney Run Prettyboy Rocky Gorge Triadelphia

v t e 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 Maddox Branch Windy Run Spout Run Foundry Branch Rock Creek Boundary Channel Tiber Creek Rocky Run Washington Channel Anacostia River Pope Branch Watts Branch Hickey Run Northwest Branch Sligo Creek Northeast Branch Paint Branch Four Mile Run Oxon Creek Hunting Creek Cameron Run 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 Accokeek Creek Nanjemoy Creek Port Tobacco River Popes Creek (Maryland) Gambo Creek Piccowaxen Creek Upper Machodoc Creek Cuckold Creek Wicomico River Monroe Creek Mattox Creek Popes 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 Alloway Creek Toms Creek (Middle Creek) Double Pipe Creek (Big Pipe Creek) (Little Pipe Creek) Owens Creek Tuscarora Creek Carroll Creek Linganore Creek Israel Creek Double Pipe Creek Bush Creek Ballenger Creek Bennett Creek Little Monocacy River Goose Creek Little River Broad Run (Virginia) Sugarland Run Broad Run (Maryland) Seneca Creek Dry Seneca Creek Little Seneca Creek (Ten Mile Creek) Great Seneca Creek Difficult Run Cabin John Creek Dead Run Little Falls Branch Pimmit Run Rock Run Watts Branch Muddy Branch   Shenandoah River North Fork Shenandoah River Cedar Creek Smith Creek South Fork Shenandoah River North River (Middle River) South River   North Branch Potomac River Stony River Abram Creek Savage River Georges Creek Laurel Run 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

Coordinates: 38°34′10″N 77°11′0″W / 38.56944°N 77.18333°W / 38.56944; -77.18333