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Article: Restore Our Urban Streams
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- August 16, 1997
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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In the front-page article on the impacts of urbanization on
our streams {"In Fairfax, Damaged Streams Stir Fears for the
Future," Aug. 7}, Eric Lipton speculates that excessive bacteria in
our streams may be due to "the growing deer population, from dogs or
horses, or from failing septic systems," but is "hard to pinpoint."
Later, he correctly notes that the effect is most severe in streams
from the inner suburbs, such as Four Mile Run.
Four Mile Run has the highest fecal coliform levels of any
stream in Northern Virginia. Its 20-square-mile watershed is home to
about 12,000 dogs, fewer than 20 deer, no horses and no septic
systems. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if pet ...