In many homes, the onset of warm weather and long, sunny days means spring fever, a time to air out homes and clean away the remnants of a cold, damp winter.
Following that thought, the University of Virginia’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation and Woolpert Inc., environmental engineers from Portsmouth, Va., have teamed up to present the Middle Potomac Watershed Forum this Saturday, April 16 at Longfellow Middle School beginning at 12:30 p.m.
The first part of the day will consist of a Citizens Watershed Academy, said Matt Robbie, a research assistant with the UVA program.
“It’s an interactive presentation made up of consultants and staff from the Storm Water Planning division of the Department of Public Works that goes over the basics of what a watershed is, various problems faced and solutions to those problems,” Robbie said.
The second half of the afternoon will provide the residents that attend the opportunity to discuss what they believe to be problems and concerns about the watershed in their own neighborhoods, he said. “There will be small groups to discuss issues and problems and to work with facilitators and engineering companies so their concerns can be addressed.”
There are 30 watershed sites throughout Fairfax County, he said, including five in the Tysons Corner area: Pimmit Run, Scotts Run, Turkey Run, Dead Run and Bull Neck Run.
“The Middle Potomac Watershed steering committee is made up of local businesses, conservation groups, state and local agencies, the Park Authority and the Virginia Department of Transportation, which has worked together for five or six months to put this program together,” Robbie said. “We’re driving for a new way for Fairfax County to manage their resources in terms of environmental protection and how to deal with storm water.”
“The County’s been doing this with all its watersheds,” said Dranesville District Supervisor Joan DuBois. “We try to engage the community to understand the watershed better,” which may help in conservation and protection of the quality of water in the area, she said.
“THIS IS TO let the community know that Fairfax County is made up of watersheds, and the County needs help to improve stream quality,” she said. “We need citizen involvement because we have to protect our streams. We want to help make sure our streams stay clean and healthy. We have issues out there, and we need the community’s help in keeping the streams clean and healthy.”
Fred Rose, branch chief for the Watershed Planning and Assessment Branch, said the goal of the forum is to “get everyone in the watershed out, but we’ll take as many people as possible,” to learn about what can be done to keep the water clean.
“We have assessed our streams over the course of the past four to five years, and the conditions have changed,” he said. “The stream beds have widened because of increased water flow, and the water flow has increased because of development. There’s not as much land open for water to be absorbed into the ground.”
With the recent heavy rains, there’s been a good amount of localized flooding, which does not help the quality of water. “In some cases, there are obstructions in streams, things like beaver dams, that can cause flooding as well,” Rose said.
There may be “a whole slew of problems” but “little things can help make it better,” he said, a point he hopes to instill in people who attend the forum. “The sum of our collective actions can really make a difference.”
The watershed program began a few years ago and focuses on rivers that drain into the Potomac and Occoquan Rivers, he said. “There’s a lot of awareness and attention on the Chesapeake Bay now, and we’re trying to drum up some regional awareness, basically,” he said.
Water that comes from Fairfax County eventually ends up in the Bay, so helping to keep water clean here has benefits there as well, Rose said.
“I’d like to think Fairfax County is in the front of trying to do something about the water pollution problem,” he said. “This is part of a massive ongoing effort, but some might say the efforts here have not obtained the desired results.”
The Middle Potomac Watershed Forum will be held from 12:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. at Longfellow Middle School, 2000 Westmoreland St., Falls Church. More information on the program is available at www.fairfaxcounty-watersheds.net or by calling Fred Rose at 703-324-5500.