Native Plants for the Little Falls Pool

The Little Falls Swim Club is going native! Native plants will soon be replacing the grass along the creek and tennis court entrance. And not only will the new plantings attract butterflies and other pollinators, it will provide stormwater management. The deep roots of the native plants help with water soak into the ground instead of running off into the adjacent Little Falls Branch. (Yes, the concrete-lined channel along the pool property is the Little Falls Branch, the creek that runs from Chevy Chase Club to the Potomac.)

Thanks to funding provided by the Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund, over 800 native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees will be installed in the upper parking lot. In addition, the asphalt channel running along the front of the tennis courts will be replaced by a planted rock swale that will slow down run-off from the tennis court exterior and allow it to soak into the ground.

In 2024, LFWA was pleased to received Montgomery County Watershed Restoration and Outreach Program Grant to design this project to help Little Falls Swim Club tackle their stormwater run-off problem. Work on planting project started in the summer of 2025 and was installed in April 2026.

Landscaping Plan has two areas

The almost 10,000 square foot area adjacent to the clubs upper parking lot is divided into two main sections - Area One, along the creek and Area Two, in front of the tennis courts. A third section was originally planned for native plants, but the plan had to be abandoned for this year as the area was too infested by the non-native invasive lesser celandine to plant. The lesser celandine must be completely eradicated before new plants can be installed, as they will out compete the new plantings.

The final plant list is HERE.

Area One: As a first step to restoration, the invasive non-native bush honeysuckles will be removed from the area as well as very small patches of lesser celandine and Italian Arum. Once cleared, new trees, shrubs, grasses and perennial flowers are planned with a mulch path meandering through the area. Places for play, quiet contemplation and picnicking are included in the design.

Area Two: A partially buried and broken asphalt channel will be replaced by a planted rock swale in the area in front of the tennis courts. The new swale will slow any run-off and allow it to soak into the ground. In the case of a storm so large that it overwhelms the capacity of the swale, the excess water will be directed into native plantings which will soak up additional rain water.

Before Pictures

During Pictures

Funding partners for this award are the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).

The award funding is provided through the Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund with Financial Assistance from the EPA.