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TextDifficult Run Watershed
Watershed Plan Announcements
Watershed Plan Adopted by Board of Supervisors
The Difficult Run Watershed
Management Plan was adopted by the Fairfax County Board of
Supervisors on Feb. 26, 2007.
For additional information, please e-mail the Stormwater Planning Division or call 703-324-5500, TTY 711.
Profile
Description
Difficult Run is in the north-central portion of Fairfax County
and drains directly to the Potomac River.
Major Streams and Tributaries
Captain Hickory Run, Piney Run, Colvin Run, Snakeden Branch, Little
Difficult Run, Rocky Run, Angelico Branch, Piney Branch, Wolftrap Creek,
Rocky Run
Watershed Size
57.7 square miles
Unique Features
This watershed is home to Wolf Trap Farm Park and part of Great Falls
Park. It is crossed by several major highways, including Leesburg Pike,
I-66, Route 50, and the Dulles Access Road, and by the W&OD Trail. It
contains four manmade lakes: Lake Anne and Lake Fairfax on Colvin Run,
and Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon on Snakeden Branch. Difficult Run flows
through a wide variety of watershed conditions, from forest to urban
areas. Just before its empties into the Potomac River, it flows through a
narrow, cliff-lined valley. Difficult Run is the largest watershed in
Fairfax County.
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