Jim,

The variable level of water at Brown's Bridge is indeed mostly due to human activity. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission adjusts the water levels in Rocky Gorge Reservoir, of which Brown's Bridge is a part.

June

--
June Tveekrem
Columbia, MD





Jim Moore wrote:

At that time [Aug 1, 2009] there were no mud flats AT ALL due to much higher water levels. I'm not sure if this is a result simply of natural variation or human intervention, but I expect the latter since there has been a fair amount of rain since then.  But just wanted to point out that the attractiveness of the area to shorebirds is variable.