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Mason District Pond, Follow the Progress 1

(Conservation Currents, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District)

Construction Starts at Mason District Park Pond

The existing farm pond on Fairfax County Park Authority was attractive from afar (left), but a closer look (middle) showed debris, washed out banks, and erosion downstream. The Park Authority had the lake drained (right) and the water rerouted to the stream below so a new, larger pond and dam could be constructed. At one end of the new pond will be a forebay to trap litter and sediments. The other end will have a constant pool of water. Connecting the forebay and permanent pool will be a meandering baseflow channel through wetland plantings.

Pictured below are the elements that make a super silt fence, which helps to contain bare soil within the perimeters of the construction site. Metal poles, spaced 10 feet apart, support a chain link fence. The geotextile fabric is as tall as the fence and stretched across its length. The line visible on the fabric is four inches from the bottom. That's how deep the fabric will be buried beneath the soil surface. A super silt fence is sturdier and less likely to be breached, often making it more effective than a regular silt fence (fabric supported only by wooden stakes) at preventing soil from leaving the construction site and polluting the stream below it.