Sligo Creek is a tributary of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River. It originates in Silver Spring in Montgomery County and flows for about 9 miles into Prince George’s County where it joins with the Northwest Branch. Sligo Creek includes three different localities—Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Washington DC. Sligo Creek has a rich history and culture, from powering mills to serving as Takoma Park’s earliest public water system.

Report Highlights and Opportunities for Improvement:

Located along diverse, urban communities, Sligo Creek had high scores in Access to Nature. Sligo Creek scored well in Tree Equity with many diverse and low-income communities, benefitting from its tree canopy. It also scored “Good” in Park Access, meaning that parks in its watershed are distributed equally and fairly. 

Like many of our streams, Sligo Creek’s health suffers from the effects of a moderately poor score in Tree Canopy, Invasives Plants, and Impervious Surface as well as the loss of Wetlands. All these factors can be seen in its poor Fish Population (FIBI) score, which reflects the biodiversity of fish that are able to live in this stream.