Georgetown Waterfront Fountain Shut Off Tuesday

Maintenance issues shut down the water feature in the Georgetown Waterfront Park.

The water fountain at the Georgetown Waterfront Park is waterless Tuesday. The National Park Service's Rock Creek Park office manages the Georgetown park. Donald Kirk, the park service facility manager for Rock Creek Park, told Patch that he received a call from his maintenance contractor around 1 p.m. Tuesday informing him of an issue with the fountain. At this point they are not certain of the cause, but believe that an electrical fuse is to blame, said Kirk. Another park service contractor is en route to investigate. "It may be up and running tonight," said Kirk. "The worst case scenario, I hope, is tomorrow." H/t to Twitter user Angela Haupt for letting us know about the fountain issues in the first place. Follow Georgetown Patch on …

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Sharpshooting Approved to Control Deer Population in Rock Creek Park

The National Park Service will employ lethal and non-lethal means to control the deer population.

Sharpshooters will be used to thin the deer population in the Washington, D.C. portions of Rock Creek Park. The National Park Service recently approved a program of lethal and non-lethal means to reduce the deer population to prevent overgrazing that harms native plants. “This decision will allow us to start restoring native vegetation, protecting the diverse communities of plants and animals that live here, and preserving the natural and cultural resources in Rock Creek Park for this and future generations," said park Superintendent Tara Morrison in a prepared statement. In 2009, the NPS estimated that there were 67 deer per square mile. The goal density adopted in May is 15 to 20 deer per square mile because that is the "appropriate …

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National Park Service Prefers Changes for Rose Park Trail

The public can comment until Jan. 13, 2012 on the plan to widen and repave the path in Rose Park.

Nearly a year after a public scoping period on the proposed changes for Rock Creek Park and Rose Park, the National Park Service has released its draft environmental assessment in which it recommends repaving Rose Park's current trail and widening it at points to create a uniform six-foot trail for an estimated $222,770. The half-mile Rose Park trail runs from P Street to M Street and under current conditions is generally five feet wide, though a small area is six feet in width. Last January, the Georgetown ANC adopted a resolution opposing modification of the path as per the request of Friends of Rose Park, who were concerned that the changes would encourage more cyclists to use the path over, possibly compromising the safety of …

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Patch Blogroll

Surf Report: Must-See D.C. Websites

Bad drivers and a photo essay of two parks.

Looking for something new on the Internet? Here's Patch's weekly rundown of places of interest, selected for Georgetown.

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Agencies Still Working on Proposal for Rock Creek Park Multi-Use Trail

The plan would directly impact Georgetown's Rose Park.

The National Park Service (NPS), working in conjunction with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are drafting an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the proposed rehabilitation of the Rock Creek Park Multi-Use Trail. The public scoping period closed at the end of February, but the anticipated spring arrival of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) has come and gone with no updates on the proposal. The project would impact sections of the trail from Broad Branch Road to P Street, and also would include the Piney Branch Parkway trail from Beach Drive to Arkansas Avenue, NW, and part of the Rose Park trail from M Street to P Street. In total the rehabilitation project, if approved, would…

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Patchers Help Clean Up Creek

Patch editors joined local residents to clean up Rock Creek and Rock Creek Park on Saturday, April 9.

Overcast skies and chilly temperatures didn't deter some intrepid area residents —including some Patch editors—from participating in a volunteer effort to clean up Rock Creek and Rock Creek Park along Beach Drive last Saturday, April 9. The sixth annual cleanup, organized by David Lysy of Silver Spring, netted at least a dozen trash bags full of junk ... and some very wet socks. The results were worth the effort, though—a cleaner, greener Rock Creek and park for everyone to enjoy. Click through the slideshow to see local residents and Patch editors in action.

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Changes Proposed for Rock Creek and Rose Parks

Local and federal government agencies are seeking public input on the proposed rehabilitation of the Rock Creek Park Multi-Use Trail, including a section in Rose Park.

A collaborative effort among local and federal agencies could change and rehabilitate sections of Rock Creek Park near Georgetown and Rose Park in Georgetown. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is cooperating with the National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on drafting and later evaluating an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the proposed rehabilitation of the Rock Creek Park Multi-Use Trail. Wednesday, Feb. 23, residents can attend a public meeting where project officials will explain the project, present possible alternatives, and provide the public with an opportunity to comment. The project would impact sections of the trail from Broad Branch Road to P Street, and also would include the …

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