Cleanups Planned At Little Hunting Creek, Known For Litter Concerns

HYBLA VALLEY, VA — As litter concerns continue in Fairfax County's Little Hunting Creek, numerous cleanups are planned this upcoming weekend.

Advocates like Friends of Little Hunting Creek, state Sen. Scott Surovell, Del. Paul Krizek and the Alice Ferguson Foundation have hosted cleanups and advocated for litter reduction efforts due to the condition of the stream. Little Hunting Creek, which feeds into the Potomac River in southeastern Fairfax County, was named the trashiest stream by Fairfax County in 2007.

The stream collects a significant amount of trash due to the presence of retail, insufficient storm water management systems, a significant homeless population, and concentration of apartments with trash containment problems. One particular area of concern is the west side of Richmond Highway in Hybla Valley.

Friends of Little Hunting Creek have hosted cleanups each year since 2002, except during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. From 2006 to 2021, volunteers have collected 3,885 bags of trash and recyclables, 295 tires, 181 shopping carts and thousands of pounds of bulk trash.

At the 2022 cleanup, Surovell's office reported volunteers collected nearly 10,000 pounds of trash. That included common items like plastic beverages containers, discarded food containers, and over 170 plastic bags as well as odd items like a motorbike, tires, chairs and a mattress.

In recent years, the volunteer organization has celebrated legislative progress to address litter. In 2019, Fairfax County introduced Operation Stream Shield, which employs people experiencing homelessness to clean trash from streams. The county also installed a trash trap in the creek behind Mount Vernon Plaza as part of a pilot program and introduced a plastic bag tax in 2022. Although state legislation pushed by Surovell allows owners to be fined for abandoned shopping cart violations, Fairfax County has not adopted an ordinance.

Saturday's cleanups will include several events hosted by Friends of Little Hunting Creek from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.:

• Colonel John Byers Park: 2213 Collingwood Rd. (between Candlewood Dr. and Karl Rd, on the south side of Collingwood Road.) Meet at the playground area of the park and proceed along the creek to the beaver dam and beyond. Contact: Greg Crider for more information.
• Gum Springs. Meet at the Shaw Park Court cul-de-sac (nearest address: 3200 Shaw Park Court) to help clean up wooded parkland and marsh along the creek, and at Napper Road and Richmond Highway. Contact: Bryan Birch, 571-201-2802, for more information.
• First River Farms. In addition to picking up trash, volunteers at this site will be cutting and removing English Ivy and other invasive vines that overwhelm the trees along the shoreline. Bring clippers, if you have them. Follow this link to sign up and get more details. This event is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. Contact Will Friedman for more information.

Surovell and Krizek will also host cleanups at several sites from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is requested to volunteer.

• Janna Lee Avenue bridge. Meet here.
• Mount Vernon Shopping Plaza. Meet near the Sherwin Williams Paint Store, 7644 Fordson, here.
• Audubon Estates. Meet on Grackle Court here.

Volunteers are encouraged to wear waterproof shoes, waterproof rubber boots or old sneakers, long pants and long sleeves and a hat, as mud and poison ivy are possible at sites. Volunteers can bring water and sun protection.