Mattawoman Creek is a shallow, tidally-influenced embayment of the Potomac Estuary, located approximately 38 miles downstream of Chain Bridge, Washington, D.C. Mattawoman Creek ultimately drains to the Chesapeake Bay, and is a part of the Lower Potomac Tributary Strategy Basin.
Mattawoman Creek (basin number 02140111) was first identified on the 1996 303(d) list submitted to EPA by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). It was listed as being impaired by nutrients due to signs of eutrophication (expressed as high chlorophyll a levels), suspended sediments, and evidence of biological impacts. Eutrophication is the over-enrichment of aquatic systems by excessive inputs of nutrients (nitrogen and/or phosphorus). The nutrients act as a fertilizer leading to excessive growth of aquatic plants, which eventually die and decompose, leading to bacterial consumption of dissolved oxygen. For these reasons, the document, available below, establishes TMDLs for the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus in Mattawoman Creek. The suspended sediments and biological impairments will be addressed at a later date.
Contact Information
Please direct questions or comments concerning this project to Maryland's TMDL Program at (410) 537-3818.