MNPS Field Trip: Oxon Run Bog

Sponsoring Organization: MNPS

Title: MNPS Field Trip: Oxon Run Bog

Leaders: Mary Pat Rowan along with Jim Rosenstock of Nat'l Park Service

We will return, after many years, to Oxon Run Bog.  Though not a Civil War Fort this is a magnolia bog below a terrace gravel formation (like the upland Fort sites)
“Acidic and mossy seeps, magnolia bogs occur only below gravel terraces of the inner mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Closely associated with terrace gravel forests, these wetlands usually occupy less than an acre on slopes comprised of soils deposited millions of years ago by the
Potomac River. Water infiltration and leaching has left the soils acidic and free of the organic materials that characterize true peat bogs. When water percolates from the upland sands and gravels over an impervious layer of clay, downward flow is prevented, and moisture is directed
out of the hillside. This hydro-geology creates optimal conditions for bog formation.” National Park Service

Easy to moderate walk. Bring lunch and water. Wear appropriate shoes and clothing.

Directions: In Southeast Washington DC, we will meet on the upper parking deck of the Southern Avenue Metro Station which is on the Metro Green Line. If you drive, parking is abundant there and free on Sunday.

Cancelled if raining heavier than drizzle. Call Mary Pat before 9:00 on Sunday morning if in doubt.

Contact: Mary Pat Rowan, blair-rowan@starpower.net, 202 526 8821.