New environmental group will advocate for protection of Holmes Run waterway
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| Holmes Run overflowed its banks after torrential rains July 8. [Photos by Kris Unger] |
A newly formed organization, Friends of Holmes Run, plans to keep an eye on development at the Inova site on Gallows Road, at Fairview Parkway in Merrifield, and other sites near the Holmes Run waterway.
Kris Unger, an active member of Friends of Accotink Creek (FAC).
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| The Inova construction project contaminated a Holmes Run tributary. |
The dozen people at the group’s first meeting on July 9 represented neighborhoods served by Holmes Run – Raymondale, Broyhill Park, Lafayette Village, Holmes Run Acres, Lake Barcroft, Lakeford, and Raintree – as well as FAC and the Mason District Council.
They see the group as being an advocate for the environment during county discussions on redevelopment activities that could harm the Holmes Run ecosystem through erosion, pollution, and tree removal.
When the Inova construction project on the Exxon Mobil site caused a large amount of sediment to flow into a Holmes Run tributary last fall, officials with the Fairfax Count Land Service Department were slow in taking steps to correct the problem.
They blamed the problem on unusually heavy rainfall, which Unger says is a totally inadequate response, although the county did work to address the issue, and Inova hosted a meeting with environmental advocates in January. However, Inova has yet to explain how a diesel oil spill happened on that property, which contaminated the stream in March.
“We are in conversation with Inova about ways to work together constructively,” Unger says, “and it’s my understanding that Inova’s plans for the property include improvements and commitments that would significantly benefit the watershed.”
The Friends of Holmes run plans to advocate for preserving the watershed, wildlife habitat, and green space in Fairview Park during meetings of the Merrifield Suburban Center Study Task Force and as the task force recommendations are presented to the Planning Commission.
The group will amplify community members’ voices as they urge developers and county officials to carry out environmentally sound practices.
The group also plans to host stream cleanups, stream monitoring activities, and nature walks.
Holmes Run starts at a natural spring near the junction of I-66 and the beltway in Dunn Loring. It flows through West Falls Church and Annandale and into Lake Barcroft, continues across Columbia Pike to Alexandria, merges with Backlick Run, and empties into Cameron Run.
The next meeting of the Friends of Holmes Run is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 26 at the Leis Center, 7423 Camp Alger Ave., Falls Church. For more information, contact Kris Unger, [email protected].
Kris Unger has had to leave the organization. The new president is Whitney Readding. She can be reached at [email protected]
This is pertinent to anyone who walks the trails of Holmes Run l,ll and lll. In my neighborhood of Holmes Run Valley the path starts near Annandale Rd and continues to Sleepy Hollow Rd. Many people walk here. It is a worthy cause for your time!