Stream restoration planned for Bren Mar Park
The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is planning a major stream restoration project at Turkeycock Run in Bren Mar Park.
The design is expected to be completed in late summer or early fall of 2025.
“Excessive widening of the channel has resulted in significant erosion of the stream banks, leading to loss of trees,” DPWES states. “The eroding banks also threaten the integrity of an existing sanitary sewer system that runs parallel to and crosses the stream.”
In addition, the deteriorating condition of the stream has resulted in a lack of diversity of aquatic life.
Bren Mar Park is located at 5415 Colliers Lane in the Bren Mar Park area of Mason District.
The project will start downstream of the culvert below I-395 and will end at the Bren Mar Recreation Association property.
Related story: Explore a Park – Bren Mar Park is a woodsy oasis in an urban area
The project “will consist of various restoration and stabilization practices meant to mimic natural processes and evolution of a stream channel, with the goals of protecting existing trails and infrastructure, such as sanitary sewer and waterlines, from damage due to continuing erosion of the stream banks and bed,” DPWES states.
It will use “natural channel design” to create a framework for stream restoration emulating natural processes by incorporating rock, wood, and native vegetation. The project will also improve water quality by improving the flow of sediment through the system.
DPWES has identified 72 trees greater than 12 inches in diameter that will be removed to create access to the stream and to provide space for the improvements. Additional invasive plants will be replaced with native plants.
After the design phase is completed, the project will move into the permitting and bid phase. A date hasn’t been determined for the start of construction. Construction is expected to take up to two years.
Funding comes from the Stormwater Service District tax. The design phase has been funded at $805,000. Construction funding is dependent on future budget availability and allocations.
Turkeycock Run is part of the Cameron Run watershed. After the stream exits Bren Mar Park, it goes under Edsall Road and flows next to the site of a proposed data center at Plaza 500 and then joins Backlick Run
2 responses to “Stream restoration planned for Bren Mar Park”
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After over 2 years of citizen led advocacy the City of Alexandria government learned that there is nothing “natural” about natural channel design that removes so many large trees. It is unnecessary, doesn’t work to achieve its stated goals and is a total waste of taxpayer money. It is very unfortunate that Fairfax County refuses to learn this lesson. The nearby residents who use this park will be sad when all the trees are cut and after the next extreme weather event with heavy rainfall they find that the whole plan washes away contributing a great deal of new sediment and pollution to the Bay that this was meant to reduce. But congrats to the billion dollar corporations that continue to pull the wool over County officials and make their extreme profits at the taxpayers expense. Anyone interested in fighting this project or just learning more should review the similar projects of the City of Alexandria contained on the Environmental Policy Commission Website or contact its Chair.
If you are happy with this approach, then keep voting for the Board of Supervisors, and the incumbent party. They will keep taking your money to be wasted like this. Democracy doesn’t die in darkness, it dies with one party control for to long (regardless of party) that leads to arrogance, ignorance, abuse of power, and often corruption (kickbacks, sweetheart deals for favored friends and allies, etc.).