Meadowood Trails Still Await Repair From Tropical Storm Lee

Thousands of dollars worth of work is still needed to repair the trails at Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area damaged by Tropical Storm Lee four months ago. The Bureau of Land Management, which operates Meadowood, has spent $3,000 in gravel and resurfacing material and estimate the repair of the Thompson Creek Bridge at $20,000.  

"This type of cost (the $20,000) was not included in the current year budget so alternative construction methods and designs will be explored," said John Reffit, a BLM natural resources specialist, in an email to Patch. "This record storm event caused us to step back and reevaluate our entire trail system and look at what is sustainable for the future. We are exploring various options to ensure that resources used in repairing the damaged areas and any new construction is cost effective and requires minimal future maintenance."  

Tropical Storm Lee - What It Did

• About 45% of Meadowood trails were affected 
• The lower Thompson Creek Bridge (eight feet wide and 20 feet long) lifted off of its abutment and floated down the creek an estimated 800 feet away
• A culvert/crossing was totally destroyed on the Thompson Creek Loop Trail 
• Approximately six miles of the entire 13 mile trail system were affected by the severe downpours and flooding
• Some of Meadowood's aggregate surfaced administrative roads were also affected by the excess water
• Several downed trees were found across the trails

Many of the trails were repaired by volunteers on National Public Lands Day last September. 

At BLM's Sept. 25, 2010, ribbon cutting to mark the re-opening of Meadowood's trails, Michael Reiland, then acting director of Meadowood, said the purpose of the project was: "to rebuild the trail system to ease erosion, require less maintenance, eliminate slippery, steep and muddy sections, and provide for high quality, year round use by equestrians, hikers, dog walkers and runners."

To accomplish this, staff and volunteers:

• Placed more than 3,000 tons of aggregate and other rock
• Removed nine undersized concrete culverts, some weighing up to 10,000 pounds, and replaced them with bridges and armored crossings to reduce erosion and destruction
• Rerouted, stabilized and re-landscaped about three miles of existing trailBuilt one mile of new trail
• Contracted for a 30-foot bridge over Thompson Creek where Wood Thrush Trail crosses.

The 2010 work was funded by a $350,000 economic stimulus grant, which did not include money for maintenance or repair.  

Downed Tree in the Way? 

During recent 60-degree winter weather, hikers, birders and equestrians were on the trails, crossing streams where they could, rerouting their progress around closed trails. "We've been waiting all fall for repairs to be made," said one hiker. "The trails across the street at Pohick Bay Regional Park were cleared and opened within a week of the storm. The trails there are not as expensive as these, and now we're wondering when and where the money will come to fix Meadowood."

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