Tag: Lake Accotink
At Lake Accotink, mud is a hazard
If Lake Accotink is not dredged and begins to fill in with sediment, some people have speculated that it will become an unhealthy, bug-infested swamp. Vanessa Robertson warns of another danger – quicksand. When Robertson, a military veteran who has undergone survival training, learned about Fairfax County’s plan to not dredge Lake Accotink, “I immediately … Continued
Walkinshaw launches re-election campaign
At his re-election campaign launch Feb. 26, Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw acknowledged the challenge of saving Lake Accotink and said, “I still want to find a way to move forward.” “When I was elected [in 2019], I thought we had a plan to save Lake Accotink at a cost of $30 million,” Walkinshaw told a … Continued
Dredging Lake Accotink is not financially or environmentally feasible
At a virtual community meeting Feb. 15, Fairfax County officials explained why the dredging project that had been proposed to save Lake Accotink is no longer feasible. County public works staff are recommending that “Lake Accotink not be dredged due to significant community and environmental impacts and excessive costs.” A new analysis found the project … Continued
Lake Accotink dredging project not likely to happen, due to increased cost
The plan to carry out a major dredging operation to save Lake Accotink is not expected to go forward, Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw reports. New cost estimates make the project untenable. Instead, the county will start over with the development of a new Master Plan for Lake Accotink Park. Without dredging, the lake will eventually … Continued
Lake Accotink celebrates 60th anniversary
The Fairfax County Park Authority hosted a 60th-anniversary celebration of Lake Accotink Park Aug. 27. There were remarks by public officials, informational tables hosted by county agencies and nonprofit organizations, free activities, food trucks, and a cake. In 1960, the Park Authority leased 242 acres from the federal government to create the park. There were … Continued
Police kill coyote at Lake Accotink
A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a coyote that bit three adults and two dogs at Lake Accotink Park this weekend. Police had received a call 8 a.m. on June 5 about the coyote attack, said Lt. Dan Spital in a video posted on Twitter. Police and animal control officers searched the area … Continued
Man assaults juvenile at Lake Accotink
A 42-year-old man is facing charges after sexually assaulting a juvenile at Lake Accotink Park, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. Officers were called to the park in Springfield on May 21 for a report of an assault. The victim was on the playground around 6 p.m. when a man approached the victim, engaged in … Continued
Lake Accotink trail project to start soon
Construction is set to begin this summer on the Lake Accotink Dam Stream Crossing Project, the Fairfax County Park Authority reports. The project involves 300 linear feet of asphalt trail improvements and 325 linear feet on an elevated concrete pedestrian crossing over the dam outfall in Lake Accotink Park in Springfield. The Park Authority contracted … Continued
Two sites identified for dredging operation at Lake Accotink
Fairfax County public works staff recommend two sites for processing the sediment to be dredged out of Lake Accotink. Those sites, announced at a community meeting Feb. 10, are at Southern Drive and the maintenance area in Wakefield Park. The dredged material would be transported to whichever dewatering site is chosen via a pipeline. After … Continued
High schools compete in Trash Off
Here’s one way to get volunteers to clean up litter around Lake Accotink – make it a fun competition for high school teams. Friends of Lake Accotink Park is sponsoring quarterly Trash Off events for high school teams in cooperation with the Young FLAPers. The next Trash Off, originally scheduled for last Saturday, has been … Continued
Evaluations underway on Lake Accotink dredging project options
Lake Accotink is filling up with sediment. Options under consideration for drying out the sediment dredged out of Lake Accotink have been narrowed down to Wakefield Park near the maintenance facility, the Dominion Energy right of way, the upper lake settling basin, and the lake island. Several alternative sites – Howrey Park, the Wakefield Park … Continued
Lake Accotink dredging sites could disrupt the Howrey memorial, youth sports, and wildlife habitats
These signs were put up by the Friends of the Soldiers Memorial at Howrey Park. The options under consideration for dredging Lake Accotink are raising alarm bells among residents concerned about the potential environmental destruction and loss of sports fields. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed to fund a $30.5 million dredging project in … Continued
Park facilities are reopening
The carousel at Lake Accotink The Fairfax County Park Authority is reopening certain amusements, including the carousel, boating marina, and mini-golf at Lake Accotink Park. Facilities at other parks are reopening, too, such as the mini-train at Burke Lake Park, batting cages, and wagon rides.
Studies underway to prepare for Lake Accotink dredging project
Lake Accotink Planning and analysis for the Lake Accotink dredging project is well underway. Construction is not expected to start until March 2023, however, as key decisions need to be made about how the dredging will work. The project involves construction of a pipeline and a large clearing in Wakefield Park for drying out the … Continued
Lake Accotink trail to be repaired
A trail at Lake Accotink Park The Fairfax County Park Authority expects to begin work as early as this week on repairing a section of trail in Lake Accotink Park. The repairs will affect the trail between the park entrance at Danbury Forest Drive and the dam spillway. The work will include milling the existing … Continued