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The Northeast Branch, which is formed by the confluence of Paint Branch and Indian Creek, is one of two main free- flowing tributaries of the tidal Anacostia River. Its confluence with the Northwest Branch, immediately upstream of the town of Bladensburg, forms the tidal river. As assessed here (e.g., exclusive of the Little Paint Branch, Paint Branch, Indian Creek, and Beaverdam Creek subwatersheds), the Northeast Branch subwatershed is generally outlined by Greenbelt Road to the north, southern Hyattsville to the south, Annapolis Road to the southeast and east, and Adelphi Road to the west. The subwatershed is located completely in Prince George's County.

Dominant Land Uses: Dominant land uses in the subwatershed include residential (51%), forest (26%), and commercial (10%).

Physical Characteristics: The Northeast Branch subwatershed is 4,268.8 acres (6.7 mi2) in size and approximately 36% impervious. Elevations range from 170 feet at the subwatershed divide (above the Brier Ditch tributary) to five feet at the confluence with Northwest Branch. The Northeast Branch, which is completely in the Coastal Plain physiographic province, has an average gradient of 0.18% across 3.1 miles of mainstem. Approximately 85% of the mainstem channel has been modified through channelization.

Biological Characteristics: MDE has designated the Northeast Branch as Use I water. Both fish and macroinvertebrate populations in the Northeast Branch mainstem are slightly impaired, which is attributed primarily to degraded aquatic habitat (Cummins et al., 1991). Thermal loading associated with channelization and the associated lack of stream shading also have been cited as potentially adversely impacting aquatic biota (Herson-Jones et al., 1994).

Condition Summary: The Northeast Branch subwatershed is highly urbanized, and dominated by residential land use, as well as several pockets of industrial and commercial land uses; only 26% of the subwatershed is forested. Northeast Branch, which begins at the confluence of Paint Branch and Indian Creek, is channelized for 85% of its mainstem length. A large proportion is managed as a flood control channel, thus precluding the growth of riparian forest buffer; only 21% of the stream system has an adequate riparian buffer (300-foot total width). In addition to this large-scale modification of aquatic habitat, elevated stream temperatures may contribute to the impairment of aquatic biotic communities.