Stream restoration project planned for Justice Park
A stream restoration project is in the works for the severely eroded tributary of Holmes Run in Justice Park.
The project is aimed at improving water quality by reducing sediment, creating sustainable channel dimensions, and improving the stream’s connectivity to the floodplain.
The design phase is scheduled to be completed by winter 2028. As the project advances, community meetings will be held for nearby residents.
Erosion has caused the loss of many trees as the soil around their roots got washed away, reports the Friends of Holmes Run (FoHR).
FoHR plans to closely monitor this project, “especially since the Fairfax County Department of Transportation has begun to install a second sidewalk on Peace Valley Lane, adding yet another source of runoff directly above the stream.”
Residents were surprised earlier this fall when the Department of Transportation posted signs about the sidewalk without notifying the community.
Related story: FCDOT to proceed with Justice Park sidewalk despite community opposition
Project manager Paul Reynolds, of the Stormwater Planning Division in the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, said he wants to give the community plenty of advance notice about the stream project so neighbors won’t be surprised when they see the work starting.
A vegetation survey will begin soon, Reynolds said. Arborists will tag, number, and classify trees in the study area.
A tag on a tree doesn’t mean it will be removed, he said. If trees do need to be removed, they will be kept onsite to help stabilize the stream, create aquatic habitat, and avoid waste. Any disturbed areas will be replanted with native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
The design phase is funded by $540,000 from Fairfax County’s stormwater tax revenue. Construction funding hasn’t been allocated yet.
Project design is expected to take one or two years, Reynolds said. Construction could start in three years at the earliest and would take 12 to 18 months.
The Stormwater Planning Division is also conducting a study to mitigate flooding in the nearby Ravenwood Park neighborhood.