Fish can swim in a Long Branch underpass stream for the first time in 50 years, thanks to a Montgomery Parks project in collaboration with the Maryland Transit Administration.
Completed last month as part of the Maryland Purple Line’s environmental impact mitigation efforts, the project included installing a “fish ladder” to improve water flow for native species like the Eastern blacknose dace, creek chub, and white sucker fish.
The project also raised the stream bed and enhanced channel stability to boost habitat and aquatic biodiversity.
This project, along with others in the area, such as the recently completed outfall restoration at Indian Spring Terrace Local Park, is part of Montgomery Parks’ broader strategy to restore urban waterways and improve public spaces, increasing potential for greater fish biodiversity along this stretch of Long Branch.
The habitat restoration project also enhances Montgomery Parks’ ongoing efforts to improve water quality, particularly in relation to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Long Branch serves as a significant tributary to Sligo Creek, which flows into the Anacostia Watershed.
“This stream restoration project represents more than just an environmental responsibility—it reflects our community’s deep connection to this stream and our shared commitment to preserving it for future generations,” said MTA Purple Line senior project director Ray Biggs II. “We’re proud to be part of a collaborative effort that brings lasting ecological, recreational, and educational value to the area.”
The 16-mile, 21-station Maryland Purple Line light rail project is more than 76 percent complete and slated to begin service in winter 2027.