Huntington Levee


Fairfax County will build a levee and pumping station to protect homes and other property in the Huntington neighborhood from flooding.

This is a complicated project that will require review by local, state and federal agencies, and will take up to seven years to design and build the levee.

This project will be funded from the $30 million stormwater bond that voters approved in November 2012.

Project Need

The Huntington community floods due to tidal surges from the Potomac River and flash flooding from the Cameron Run Watershed. The community was built prior to enactment of the current floodplain regulations.

A levee is an earthen embankment that runs parallel to the course of a river. The purpose of a constructed levee is to minimize flooding.

Project Description

Based on the US Army Corps of Engineers (CORPS) initial concept project details include:

Huntington Levee Alignment
The red line in the image shows approximately where the levee will be constructed along Cameron Run. (Image: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
View larger image


  • Levee
    • 70 feet wide at the base
    • 10 feet wide at the top
    • 10 -15 feet high (actual measurements will be determined during the design of the project)
    • 2,800 feet long (beginning west of Fenwick Drive and running eastward to the Riverside apartments)
  • Pumping station facility

While the levee can help mitigate flooding of houses from the types of storms that have happened in the past, it is not designed to offer protection from flooding that is caused by storms that are greater than a 100-year event (a storm that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year). 

Project Complexities

The levee is a complex project that likely will require:

  • Permits from local, state and federal agencies
  • Environmental and other reviews by state and federal agencies
  • Construction in a wetlands, which is regulated by state and federal agencies
  • Acquisition of land and easements

Project Timeline

Based on the initial concept provided by the CORPS, the project is anticipated to take three to five years to design, with an additional two years for construction.

The county has advertised for consultant services and is proceeding on the following schedule:

  • November/December 2012: Advertised for design consultant services
  • January/February 2013: Interview and select design consultant
  • Spring 2013: Finalize design contract
  • Summer 2013: Consultant contract award; proceed with design and construction document preparation

The project schedule will be developed in partnership with the selected consultant in Spring/Summer 2013 and details will be provided as they are available.



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