Lake Accotink Task Force Created To Review Wetland, Hybrid Options

SPRINGFIELD, VA — A new task force established by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has been directed to evaluate all options for Lake Accotink’s future, including a wetland conversion that was recommended by county staff, dredging, or a combination of both.

The task force, led by former Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova, will include former Braddock District Supervisor John Cook, a Fairfax County Park Authority representative, and members of local community, environmental and nonprofit organizations. The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services will provide support to the task force.

The creation of the task force was approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors on May 23 at the request of Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw. It will begin its work this summer and report back to the Board of Supervisors when its work is finished.

The other members of the task force have yet to be chosen. Bulova will decide on the date of the first meeting of the task force, according to a Walkinshaw spokeswoman.

The 55-acre Lake Accotink is a man-made reservoir built by the U.S. Army. The lake, located in the middle of a densely developed 30-square-mile watershed, has required regular dredging in order to remove sediment and prevent it from returning to its natural state.

The most recent dredge took place in 2008. Since 2014, Fairfax County has been exploring ways to address increased sedimentation and preserve Lake Accotink.

READ ALSO: Fairfax Co. Officials Not Giving Up Yet On Preserving Lake Accotink

The task force will review previous studies and findings to ensure that all possible options have been considered, identify questions that should be addressed about a managed wetland or hybrid option, and ensure that effects to the environment, surrounding communities, recreational uses of the park, and financial obligations are considered.

In 2019, after the community expressed support for preserving the lake, Fairfax County developed a plan to dredge the lake at a cost of $30.5 million.

But more recent analysis of the lake determined that more sediment will need to be removed than previously estimated. Also, the processing site originally envisioned for the sediment is now viewed as unsuitable. Plus, the costs to dispose of the processed sediment in a local quarry are significant, according to the county.

As a result, the initial base dredge is now projected to cost $95 million and the total cost to dredge and maintain Lake Accotink over the next 25 years is $395 million.

Fairfax County staff have recommended that Lake Accotink not be dredged and, instead, recommend restarting Lake Accotink Park’s master planning process, with an emphasis on developing a sustainable vision for the lake and the park.

The board matter approved by the Board of Supervisors called on the task force to identify what questions should be addressed if the board decides to move forward with county staff's recommendation to turn Lake Accotink into a wetland. Also, the task force has been asked to determine the potential impacts of converting the lake into a wetland.

The task force also will examine how a hybrid option would work for Lake Accotink, where some area of open water will be retained, while the rest of the lake would be turned into a managed wetland.

While questions surround the future of the lake, Lake Accotink Park remains a highly popular destination. Lake Accotink Park receives hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

In early May, the Board of Supervisors voted to approve $300,000 in funding for the Fairfax County Park Authority to replace the playground at Lake Accotink Park. On June 3, the Fairfax County Park Authority will celebrate the completion of a new Accotink Creek Crossing, a concrete trail and elevated pedestrian bridge that closes a 3.9-mile trail loop around Lake Accotink Park.

RELATED:

• Input On Future Of Lake Accotink Park Requested By Fairfax County
• New Plans For Lake Accotink As County Finds Dredging Not Feasible