Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County disputes claims that Inova construction project is harming the environment

Fairfax County has taken exception to the post in the Annandale Blog on Nov. 13 that described the failures of Inova’s contractors to keep sediment out of the Holmes Run watershed during the construction of the Inova Center for Personalized Health on Gallows Road. The following response was submitted by Anne Cissel, public information officer … Continued

Sediment from Inova project is damaging the watershed

Sediment from the Inova construction site is flowing into streams. [Photos by Kris Unger] Construction at the Inova Center for Personalized Health and related projects on Gallows Road on the former Exxon Mobil site is causing large amounts of sediment to flow into streams and is thus compromising the Holmes Run watershed. While some efforts have … Continued

Section of Holmes Run Stream Valley Trail to close for emergency sewer repair project

Holmes Run Stream Valley. [City of Alexandria] A short section of Holmes Run Stream Valley Trail will be closed, starting the week of Oct. 23, for an emergency project to repair a sanitary sewer line, the Fairfax County Park Authority reports. Depending on the level of repairs required, an approximately 1,500-foot section of trail could … Continued

Water quality experts meet in Wakefield Park to study impact on Chesapeake Bay watershed

Vickie Blazer of the USGS and her assistants dissect a fish to demonstrate the history of fish health problems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed [Fairfax County] About 50 people from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency, congressional staff, and the Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division gathered at Wakefield Park in Annandale on … Continued

New environmental group focuses on ridding streams of plastic water bottles

Trash in Accotink Creek. [TAWF] A new organization, the Northern Virginia Trash Action Work Force, invites the public to a peaceful demonstration to highlight the environmental damage caused by disposable plastic water bottles. The event, the group’s first civic action, will be May 8, 7-10 a.m., in front of the headquarters of the International Bottled … Continued

Residents discuss options on future of Lake Accotink

About 100 people attend a meeting at Kings Glen Elementary School in Springfield on the future of Lake Accotink. Members of the public heard about five options for dealing with the silt build-up in Lake Accotink, including the possibility of severely limiting the size of the lake or even transforming it into wetlands. Dozens of … Continued

Park Authority finds money to replace pedestrian bridge

The trail between Murray Lane and Lockwood Lane where a new pedestrian bridge will be installed. Fairfax County has found the money to replace the old, unsafe pedestrian bridge it removed in the Broyhill Crest neighborhood after all, Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross informed residents. On March 23, the county removed the bridge, which crosses … Continued

Volunteers clean up Lake Accotink Park

Mountains of trash collected by volunteers at Lake Accotink. [Michael A. Richards] The Spring Cleanup at Lake Accotink Park on April 2 netted an estimated 975 pounds of trash, reports park supervisor Julie Tahan. The cleanup was one of many scheduled for Saturday at parks and streams throughout Fairfax County, including Annandale Community Park, Long … Continued