Project Background

This project was identified in the Accotink Creek Watershed Management Plan  for stream restoration and stabilization activities. It was placed in the county's Fiscal Year 2027 work plan as a result of severe bank and stream bed erosion. Several utility crossings within the stream channel are stabilized with large riprap, which is leading to downstream scour pools and erosion. 

Project Description

The project will restore 4,700 linear feet of natural stream channel that is currently severely eroded, over widened, and at risk of further bed and bank instability. This work is part of Fairfax County’s broader effort to restore degraded streams, improve local water quality, and support Chesapeake Bay restoration.

Planned improvements include removing riprap, creating stable stream crossings, repairing scour pools, regrading and stabilizing banks, installing grade controls, and removing invasive plant species.

Primary goals of the restoration are:

• Stabilize the channel and prevent future erosion and degradation along the stream
• Improve water quality through the removal of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) and sediment
• Create a healthy ecosystem by restoring the channel and planting native trees and herbaceous plants

Project Location

The project is located in the Providence District on public land within recorded stormwater easements between Route 29 and Arlington Boulevard (Route 50), adjacent to the Pan Am Shopping Center.  

Project Phase

Initiation/Planning and Design

Timeline

Due to the Accotink Gravity Sewer Improvement Project being in the direct vicinity of this stream restoration, design has only been authorized up to the 35% design phase. The design team will reevaluate the status of the gravity sewer project before authorizing final design and construction for the stream restoration. 

What to Expect

Over the next several weeks, the County’s design firm, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., along with their consultants (Pennoni Associates, Inc. and Terracon Consultants, Inc.) and subsurface utility contractors (Survey and Mapping, LLC, Accumark, Inc., or UtiliQuest, LLC), will be in the community collecting topographic, soil, and utility information needed to support the design.

Area residents, business owners, and other key stakeholders located near the stream restoration project will have an opportunity to hear a presentation on our planning process and provide feedback. The county will publish information from this presentation on the project website. During design, more specific information will be developed for the project, and the county will continue with a public outreach program and will begin to target specific stakeholders who may be directly impacted by the project.  

Project Cost and Funding Source

Design of Hunters Branch and Trib at Arlington Blvd stream restoration project is funded for $800,000. Construction funding is dependent upon future budge availability and allocations. Stormwater projects are funded through the county Stormwater Service District.

Presentations to the Community

As the project advances through the iterative design development process, community meetings will be scheduled to present the project and its design to the residents along the project and to obtain feedback from the community. 

Typical meetings are held at the 35%, 65%, 95%, and 100% design/construction phases. However, this schedule may be adjusted based on community interest and involvement.

Contact

For more information, please contact Ken Trinh, Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, Stormwater Planning Division, or call 703.324.1016, TTY 711.