Planning Phase

Personnel from the design contractor and Fairfax County are surveying the current conditions of the streambed, the adjacent floodplain, the major tributaries from the stormwater outfalls, and the trees. All trees in the project area more than 12 inches in diameter at chest height (almost 700) have been individually characterized. About the only visible change is that some survey stakes and flags have appeared.

Construction Phase

Stream Channel

• Although much of the stream channel will follow the current channel, it will be relocated in some areas to move it from locations where it is threatening homeowners’ lots, to eliminate some tight meanders that are inherently unstable, to avoid specific obstacles, to protect mature healthy trees, or to provide better connectivity to the natural floodplain.
• Major stormwater outfalls may be relocated slightly toward or away from the main stream to accommodate design of the immediate discharge areas.

Paths & Bridges

• Paths used for access will be damaged by the construction equipment and replaced at the completion of construction. Details of the replacement paths are not yet determined.
• Some paths might be rerouted. A few alternative path routings are being considered.
• All bridges in the project area (all of the bridges upstream of Wakefield Dr.) will be removed during construction. Bridges will be replaced as necessary. The replacement bridges will be different than the current design. The replacement bridge design has not yet been selected.

Trees

• There will be some loss of existing trees. Trees currently toppling into the stream due to undercut streambanks will be removed. The inventory of mature trees will be used to minimize the loss of healthy trees by careful routing of access paths and protection of the root structures of healthy trees as much as possible.

Access

• The construction contractor will establish four or five points for access to the project area from public streets. These will likely be:
  • In the TCC parking lot near the tennis court gazebo
  • Along Elizabeth Lane below Mary Lee Lane
  • Wakefield Drive near the stream crossing
  • At the path into the parkland from Ossian Hall Lane
  • Along Ann Fitz Hugh Drive near Golden Gate bridge
• The construction contractor will also establish staging areas in relatively cleared areas of the parkland near the access points, above.
• During construction, areas of the parkland will be closed to the public. These will be staged so the entire project area will not be closed simultaneously. As much as possible, there will be public access across the parkland at all times.

Noise

• There will be noise from the construction equipment operating in the parkland during weekday daylight hours.

First Several Months after Construction

• Areas that were cleared for access will be replanted with native trees and shrubs. The seedlings will initially be only a few feet high. Some may be protected by screens from deer grazing.
• Streambanks will be planted with native vegetation through biodegradable matting that protects the banks from erosion until the vegetation can be established.