County parks sustained flood damage from Tropical Storm Lee estimated at $600,000, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).
“Our first priority is to make the parks safe and accessible,” said Todd Johnson, divisional director of park operations at FCPA. “After Lee, we immediately sent out crews to assess the situation, which included monitoring trails, dams and bridges, and clearing what we could.”
The Fairfax County Park Authority oversees 350 miles of trails and 22,500 acres of land countywide. In the Burke and Springfield area, that includes , , Lake Accotink Park, Pohick Stream Valley Park, and South Run Park and Rec Center.
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Lake Accotink Park was among the hardest hit, topping current individual park estimates with over $150,000 needed in repairs.
Johnson said park trails are built in stream valleys and flood plains, so it's expected they will flood occasionally. “We plan for weather events, with our staff, resources and budgets, but this was a major storm," he said. "The power, speed and amount of the water are not something you can predict. Similar to our winter snowstorms, we plan but don’t know how much of an impact a storm will have until it’s over.”
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Park repairs will mostly be paid by the Fairfax County Park Authority. Because the floods were not declared a FEMA event at state level, they do not qualify for additional funding. According to the FCPA, private insurance along with operating and maintenance funds already allocated will pay the bulk of the costs.
, which manages several hundred acres, said floodwaters damaged bridges, neighborhood parks, and pathways. Jack Liszka, facilities and resources administrator, said several thousand dollars were necessary to make the repairs and cleanup the area. "There isn’t a specific line item in the budget for that, but we are able to make the adjustment in our available operational funds," he said.
Lake Accotink Park and Hidden Pond Nature Center are two of eight parks included in FCPA’s October 15 Watershed Clean-Up Day. The semi-annual clean-up day, held once each spring and fall, will focus this fall on flood damage.
FCPA’s Matthew Kaiser said the Watershed Clean-Up Days are part of larger events. “The fall event is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, and the spring event part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation's Trash-Free Potomac Watershed Initiative," he said.
Those wishing to volunteer October 15 should call the specific park to register. Participating parks are:
The cleanup will be held from 9 – 11:30 a.m. Volunteers should wear boots, old clothing, and work gloves. Trash bags will be provided.
