Profile
Description
Pohick Creek lies in the central southern portion of Fairfax County and
drains southeastward directly to the Potomac River through Gunston Cove.
Major Streams and Tributaries
Major tributaries to Pohick Creek are Rabbit Branch, Opossum Branch,
Sideburn Branch, South Run and Middle Run.
Watershed Size
36.5 square miles, total
34.3 square miles within Fairfax County
Unique Features
Several lakes exist within the Pohick Creek watershed. The largest,
Burke Lake, is located on South Run and was created for recreational
uses. There are six lakes in the watershed that were constructed between
1970 and 1985 as part of a joint effort between the USDA Soil
Conservation Service, Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia Soil and
Water Conservation District. These impoundments were designed as flood
prevention and watershed protection structures. Over two square miles of
the watershed are not under jurisdiction of Fairfax County, lying within
the US Army’s Fort Belvoir Military Reservation. The Laurel Hill property
(formerly the District of Columbia’s Lorton Correctional Facility) also
lies partly within the watershed. The Noman M. Cole Lower Potomac
Pollution Control Plant, which treats a large majority of the county’s
wastewater, lies at the lower stretches of Pohick Creek. The watershed
also contains several sites of historic importance.