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Restoration / Cleanup Site Visit - March 5, 2006

Several Friends of Accotink Creek visited Accotink Creek near Old Lee highway to evaluate that section of the creek as a site for the 8 April Alice Ferguson Foundation Stream Cleanup event and to view a planned stream restoration site.

Jeanne Classen works in the Water Quality Monitoring section of Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) contacted Friends of Accotink Creek and mentioned there is a stream restoration project occurring in Accotink Creek. Jeanne invited us to meet with her and her boss, Bryant Thomas, to see the area before the restoration work began and to evaluate that section as a possible annual spring cleanup site. We selected the area along the creek upstream from Old Lee Highway to Rte 29/50 (Fairfax Boulevard) and Wilcoxson Park adjacent to the area. See MAP.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a beaver dam in the middle of this area. The beavers had already begun a natural stream restoration project of their own by slowing down the water. The sediment is settling to the bottom and the dam is filtering the trash. See "The link between beaver and water quality" web page on the Fairfax County website. Our "furry Friends of Accotink Creek" had created a small pond that turned the water crystal clear and collected a lot of trash, but they need our help.

The beavers had done very effectively, and at a very reasonable cost (a few trees that can be replanted) what we have been trying to do for a long time; install and efficient, effective and low-cost method to filter the trash from the flowing water that is quickly replaced after rising water destroys it. I propose we adopt the beaver dam to regularly remove the trash that is being filtered.

Let's work together to help improve the habitat for our native furry Friends of Accotink Creek and for others who will enjoying the sight of a clean stream, its relaxing babbling sounds in the cool summer shade; a small area of old rural Virginia in which to relax in the City of Fairfax.

We invite you to join our "Adopt-A-Furry-Friend of Accotink Creek" team and schedule a few hours a month to regularly remove the trash that the beaver dams filter. Send an email to volunteer.