Monday's not-so-surprising flooding on the Georgetown waterfront, among other areas of the Potomac River, is a good reminder that although we Washingtonians live in an incredibly planned and built environment, Mother Nature can still pack a punch. Seasonal flooding has been going on for eons, which has helped carve one of the region's most spectacular natural environments: the Potomac's gorge between Georgetown and Great Falls.

The pictures you see here were taken in the District's far western corner, near Chain Bridge, on March 18 of last year, a couple days after the river gorge flooded. It's an area that I've explored extensively over the years, a conveniently situated wilderness below the bluffs where I used to live, overlooking Chain Bridge and the gorge.

If you hike in this area between the river's channel at Little Falls and the C&O Canal in the next few days, you should expect to see boulders, logs, and other material that's been washed downstream over the years, sitting amid a complex network of pools and rivulets. You'll also see a fresh layer of silt. And if you get the timing right, you'll see a brilliant green carpet of new life sprouting.

If you make return visits, you'll see how this natural wonder changes over the seasons. It's too bad more people don't even know it's there.

Photos by Michael E. Grass

Rock Creek at Peirce Mill, August 18

Heavier rainfall, more scorching hot summer days, shorter winters, and spreading dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay – these are a few of the local impacts of global warming, according to a report released today by the Obama Administration.

The gist: Global warming is already here and only going to get worse.

Among the scarier scenarios for the D.C.-area: Heavy rains, like the ones we’ve had recently, will lead to more flooding and waterborne diseases. D.C. is particularly vulnerable because we have an antique  “combined sewer system” that carries storm water and sewerage in the same pipes. When the system gets swamped, sewerage overflows into rivers, drinking water supplies and swimming holes. Not a pretty picture and one that will increasingly expose District residents to waterborne parasites that cause diarrhea-like ailments with exotic names such as Cryptosporidium and Giardiasis.

For the full report, click here. For news from the press conference, check out this AP story. Meanwhile, the Guardian, says the report is part of the Obama Administration's "carefully crafted strategy" to push through the climate change bill currently before Congress.

...the California court said voters spoke clearly, through last fall's ballot initiative known as Proposition 8, in wanting to limit marriage to a man and a woman. At the same time, the court said that the marriages of the approximately 18,000 couples who wed before the ban was passed remain valid and that same-sex partners can still enjoy equal legal benefits through recognized civil unions.

NBC Washington has stuff on the Dupont Circle protest. I found the Sexist's coverage less depressing.

*OH, YEAH, ABOUT SOTOMAYOR: Slate's Andy Bowers teaches you how to pronounce the SupCo nominee's surname. Spoiler: It's ""so-toe-my-YORE." (Bowers has the audio, though.)

*WJLA has coverage—and, naturally, video—of yesterday's flooding.

*Over at Young & Hungry, Tim Carman previews the H Street Country Club, admonishing, "you'll never get a tee time." He's referring to that 9-hole indoor putt putt course, of course, and he's got awesome photos to prove it. Prince of Petworth's take on the situation:

Upstairs is where it gets really interesting. Why? Because that is where you can find the indoor putt putt. Which is as insane in reality as it sounds. But it is awesome. It is a 9 hole course with names like U Street, K Street Lego Lawyers, The Awakening of Marion Barry etc. It will cost $7 dollars.

*District, Schmistrict hates "sorry for the lack of posts" posts as much as you do. But the Iowan couple really is sorry about the lack of posts, chalks it up to "serious lack of blog-motivation lately" spurred by "ever-more pleasant weather," and promises they'll be back, keyboards ablaze, in the near future. (The forecast, if nothing else, should help just a bit.)

Rock Creek, in roughly the area shown in the following Google Maps grab, has jumped its banks and has flooded the multi-use trail. It's passable, but only on the grassy median. The Rock Creek Parkway is unaffected. The TimberForm exercise stations are all accessible. Wait times are minimal.