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Friends of Accotink Creek
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 Survivors of all three cleanups today enjoy their prizes wrestled from the creek. |
Our May 12, 2018 stream cleanups:
The weather was with us today, starting out with light overcast that left a drop or two of rain, but soon cleared, with sunshine the rest of the day and temperatures touching 90 degrees. At King Arthur Road, our first site of the day, 24 volunteers joined us. Our volunteers collected 24 bags of trash and 4 tires. We were pleased that among the tires was one that had taunted us for years, inextricably held in place by a log through its center. A few minutes work with an ax freed it. Next time, we hope to get its nearby companion, the Great Truck Tire Stuck in the Sand. Our most unique find was a collection of 13 tree protection tubes, left over from a long-forgotten planting site. At our second site of the day, Little River Turnpike, our 14 volunteers collected 17 bags of trash. Our most unusual find here was an aluminum seat from a set of bleachers. Two very young bicyclists, passing with their family, decided to pause in ther ride and join us. Braddock Road was our last site of the day. Our 17 volunteers included Girl Scout Troop 52030 - Thank you, Scouts! The crew collected 13 bags of trash and 1 tire. Our most unique find was an Adirondack chair. Volunteers also came upon a fish stranded in a shrinking puddle and returned it to the creek. |
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Our April 28, 2018 stream cleanups:
Fog in the morning soon gave way to a sunny midday with temperatures in the mid-70's. By afternoon clouds were gathering, but we stayed dry. Later we were spared the forecast thunderstorms that might have floated our bags of trash away from the flood-prone Woodburn Road site. At Pickett Road, our first site of the day, we had a good turnout of 56 volunteers. We were joined by contingents from Excelsior College Alumni, Jack and Jill of America, Bishop O'Connell High School Ecology Club, Centreville High School Environmental Science, and Girl Scout Troop 271. Thanks to all these groups! Our volunteers hauled 54 bags of trash and 2 tires out of the creek, but it is only a tiny fraction of what is out there. Our most unusual find here was a a boombox, continuing the musical theme after finding a toy guitar here last fall. At Barkley Drive, our second site of the day, our 42 volunteers included Girl Scout Troop 6932 and Daisy Scout Troop 54018. Thank you, Scouts! One family was establishing an new tradition of service on their son's birthday. Our volunteers cleaned out 33 bags of trash. We found nothing noteworthy here, just more of the usual bottles, Styrofoam, and plastic bags. Woodburn Road was our last site of the day. We were joined by groups from Little River United Church of Christ, and Girl Scout Troop 1496. Thank you, Scouts and LRUCC! Our 44 volunteers filled 53 bags with trash and found 3 tires. Our oddest find here was a Styrofoam mannequin's head. |
Victorious volunteers at Barkley Drive |
Country Club Hills cleanup volunteers with the results of their labors. |
Our April 21, 2018 stream cleanups:
A plendiferous day was ours today, sunny and mild, with temperatures rising into the mid-60's, beneath a few drifting wispy clouds. A better day for stream cleaning could not be had. At our first location, Fairfax Blvd, we had a crew of 19 volunteers who removed 16 bags of trash and 1 tire. At the same time, a short way upstream, Country Club Hills civic association had their own stream cleanup - Thank you Country Club Hills! At our second location, Chain Bridge Road, we again had 19 volunteers, who removed 21 bags of trash. Among our volunteers were members of Cub Scout Troop 1513 - Thank you, scouts! Our most unique find here was a Cuisinart electric grill, apparently undamaged, which a volunteer took home to return to service in the kitchen. Old Lee Hwy, our last location of the day, saw a turnout of 14 volunteers. This is an area sometimes frequented by persons drinking in the woods - Modelo beer and Steel Reserve malt liquor seem to be favorites. Our volunteers produced a haul of 27 bags of trash and 1 tire, plus two shopping carts we returned to the nearby Home Depot. |
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Our April 14, 2018 stream cleanups:
We had a sunny and warm day for our cleanups, with temperatures rising into the mid-80's, tempered by gentle breezes. At Fullerton Road, our first site of the day, we had 27 volunteers, who collected 24 bags of trash and 2 tires here. Northern Virginia American Water Works/Water Environment Association send a contingent of volunteers - Thank you! Our most unusual find here was an electric fence stake. Dominion Power mowed the area under their transmission lines here last fall, facilitating access, and we hope, marking a first step toward controlling the huge infestation of Chinese wisteria threatening flora of the Accotink Gorge. At our second site, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, a modest crew of 7 volunteers removed 10 bags of trash. We were pleased to see that the adjacent Hooes Road dump site was clear of any illegally dumped refuse. Our most unusual find here was what appeared to be a rust old oxygen or scuba tank. Our last site of the day was Telegraph Road, where 5 volunteers removed 8 bags of trash. We walked to the creek while averting our eyes from the depressing sight of the adjacent trash-choked concrete channel. We could easily spend our entire time cleaning this wretched channel while listening to the roar of traffic without ever reaching the the scenic and tranquil banks of the creek. We had no noteworthy finds here, only hideous mounds of Styrofoam and bottles trapped behind logjams. Join the Battle of the Bottle May 5th to protest the appalling proliferation of bottled water litter! #trashdayofaction Other Accotink Creek watershed cleanups today happened at Hallman Street, near the source of Accotink Creek, and at Nutley Street on the Hunters Branch tributary. Thanks to all who work to improve the well-bing of the Accotink Creek watershed! |
Northern Virginia American Water Works/Water Environment Association volunteers in the Accotink Gorge. |
A new bird species spotted at Lake Accotink.
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April 7, 2017 stream cleanups:
The weather forecast a few days before had been ominous - temperatures just above freezing - cold rain turning to snow - accumulation of five inches. Yet when the day came, none of the worst materialized. The sky stayed overcast, but dry, and temperatures were tolerably crisp. The Lake Accotink Park cleanup brought out 215 volunteers not afraid of the elements, including Girl Scout Troop 2189 and Wei Hwa Chinese School. Thank you, Girl Scouts and Wei Hwa! An expedition up the Flag Run tributary was rather depressing. Even this small stream had far more trash than could be cleaned up in the time available. Inexplicable finds included a pink lawn flamingo, two lawn mower grass catchers in the same location, and an abundancy of sections of porch screen. Save Lake Accotink was represented, manning a table at the boat with their newly-designed T-shirts. At Kings Park Park the Kings Park Mens Tennis Group removed an estimated 40 pounds of trash, but was frustrated by a rusty water pump too heavy to lift. Meanwhile, on Fairfax Blvd, the Harley-Davidson Adopt-A-Sport cleanup took place on the street next to the creek. Thanks to all!
Follow the Friends of Accotink Creek motto and "Find just one other person who cares".
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Our March 31, 2018 stream cleanup:
A sunny day with mild temperatures rising into the 60's made for excellent cleanup conditions. By special request of the Springfield/South County Youth Club's West End Rugby team, we cleaned up along Wakefield Run, a recently-restored tributary. We had 28 volunteers who removed thirteen bags of trash and grappled a monster I-beam out of Accotink Creek.
We also took advantage of the opportunity to conduct biological monitoring of Wakefield Run. The results were disappointingly poor, a contrast with the hopeful changes we had seen following the restoration project.
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 West End Rugby applies the muscle to drag a heavy I-beam out of Accotink Creek |
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See Ted's Oscar-worthy video here |
Heroic solo wintertime cleanup: We want to recognize the impressive efforts of Ted Plunkett, who conducted solo cleanups through late winter in the Wakefield Park area. Single-handedly, he removed 96 bags of trash, 27 tires, and strange items ranging from a broken safe to a scooter. Ted documented his cleanups with photos and graphics we added to our cleanup photo album on SHUTTERFLY. Ted has done cleanups like this for years in and around Wakefield Park, and he's probably out there now, taking care of our watershed. Thanks, Ted! |
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Since 1989, the Alice Ferguson Foundation has spearheaded the Potomac Watershed Cleanup. Now the largest regional event of its kind, the cleanup has engaged over 40,000 volunteers and 300 partners and removed more than 1500 tons of trash from the Potomac Watershed.
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GET YOUR BRAIN WET! Join Friends of Accotink Creek in next year's annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup in April & May and the International Coastal Cleanup in September & October! |
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| Potomac Watershed Cleanup Stream Cleanup Results |
Spring 2014 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2015 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2016 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2017 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2018 Participants & Trash removed |
| Accotink Creek at Chain Bridge Road | 12 volunteers 18 bags |
13 volunteers 20 bags |
25 volunteers 28 bags |
29 volunteers 35 bags |
19 volunteers 21 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Fairfax Blvd | 20 volunteers 31 bags |
34 volunteers 26 bags |
21 volunteers 21 bags |
69 volunteers 35 bags |
19 volunteers 16 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Old Lee Hwy | 13 volunteers 14 bags |
31 volunteers 44 bags |
23 volunteers 21 bags |
7 volunteers 14 bags |
14 volunteers 27 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Pickett Road | 109 volunteers 43 bags |
33 volunteers 31 bags |
35 volunteers 47 bags |
52 volunteers 41 bags |
56 volunteers 54 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Barkley Drive | 63 volunteers 44 bags |
38 volunteers 44 bags |
20 volunteers 21 bags |
10 volunteers 10 bags |
42 volunteers 33 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Woodburn Road | 50 volunteers 24 bags |
38 volunteers 59 bags |
25 volunteers 33 bags |
18 volunteers 32 bags |
44 volunteers 53 bags |
| Accotink Creek at King Arthur Road | 42 volunteers 37 bags |
26 volunteers 26 bags |
11 volunteers 11 bags |
12 volunteers 11 bags |
24 volunteers 24 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Little River Turnpike | 63 volunteers 50 bags |
17 volunteers 15 bags |
46 volunteers 34 bags |
12 volunteers 17 bags |
14 volunteers 17 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Braddock Road | 17 volunteers 23 bags |
22 volunteers 22 bags |
8 volunteers 8 bags |
11 volunteers 17 bags |
45 volunteers 26 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Franconia-Springfield Pkwy | 9 volunteers 15 bags |
43 volunteers 30 bags |
9 volunteers 18 bags |
6 volunteers 8 bags |
7 volunteers 10 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Fullerton Road | 44 volunteers 32 bags |
39 volunteers 39 bags |
20 volunteers 22 bags |
11 volunteers 13 bags |
27 volunteers 24 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Telegraph Road | 16 volunteers 20 bags |
37 volunteers 30 bags |
9 volunteers 15 bags |
5 volunteers 11 bags |
5 volunteers 8 bags |
| Total | 458 volunteers 351 bags |
371 volunteers 386 bags |
252 volunteers 279 bags |
242 volunteers 244 bags |
316 volunteers 313 bags |
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Litterbugs: Their selfish behavior is the "gift" that keeps on giving. Trash may be out of sight and out of mind for the litterer, but it continues to blight communities and habitats far removed in time and distance. When litterers make the decision to solve their immediate disposal problem irresponsibly, they are also making the decision to create problems that endure for generations. Filth is the monument they build for themselves. |