Antietam National Battlefield
Park management maintains diverse land uses
Agriculture often shares space with park forests.
Photo: NPS
Antietam National Battlefield offers a mixture of farmland 
, pasture 
, woodlots, and rich oak/hickory forest 
. The diverse land use conditions influence exotic species 
introductions to and native species 
movements within the park. Land use changes in and surrounding the park will greatly affect these processes. Restoration activities associated with recreating historic land use patterns also influence natural and cultural resources. For example, managed grasslands 
contribute to regional grassland bird conservation 
, and historic orchards 
and woodlots continue to be replanted 
throughout the park.
, pasture , woodlots, and rich oak/hickory forest . The diverse land use conditions influence exotic species introductions to and native species movements within the park. Land use changes in and surrounding the park will greatly affect these processes. Restoration activities associated with recreating historic land use patterns also influence natural and cultural resources. For example, managed grasslands contribute to regional grassland bird conservation , and historic orchards and woodlots continue to be replanted throughout the park.Upstream and surrounding land uses impact water quality
Cows wade into watershed streams.
Photo: Michele Carter, NPS
Antietam Creek is a major component of the park’s landscape and surface waters within the park are currently of moderately high quality 
. However, the future quality of the creek and its tributaries are potentially impacted by agricultural inputs (manure and fertilizers 
, pesticides 
) from park and adjacent farmlands, upstream industrial and sewage discharge 
, and the increase of impervious surfaces 
and stormwater runoff 
in surrounding residential areas. Groundwater 
is also easily impacted because the park lies on a porous, limestone bed 
.
. However, the future quality of the creek and its tributaries are potentially impacted by agricultural inputs (manure and fertilizers , pesticides ) from park and adjacent farmlands, upstream industrial and sewage discharge , and the increase of impervious surfaces and stormwater runoff in surrounding residential areas. Groundwater is also easily impacted because the park lies on a porous, limestone bed .