Learn About Ashby Pond Environmental Improvements

Press release from the City of Fairfax :

09/21/2022

A public meeting to discuss the Ashby Pond Environmental Improvements Project will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Sherwood Community Center (3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax). The city project team, including engineers from Kimley-Horn, will present the 60% plans, listen to feedback, and answer questions.

Project Background

The City of Fairfax Department of Public Works is developing plans to dredge and upgrade Ashby Pond, a small pond located at 9817 Ashby Road that receives stormwater runoff from 135 acres of surrounding land. Dredging the pond is necessary about once a decade to remove accumulated silt from the pond. The pond was last dredged in 2011.

Removing accumulated silt from the pond will increase the pond’s capacity to slow stormwater runoff and capture pollutants, and prevent pollutants from reaching Daniels Run, Accotink Creek, the Potomac River, and Chesapeake Bay. The deeper pools will enhance water quality for local wildlife and improve the park’s aesthetics for visitors.

Improving the Pond

In addition to dredging the pond, the department plans to retrofit the pond to meet current specifications. This work will increase the pond’s pollutant removal capabilities, make future maintenance easier and more economic, improve aesthetics, and provide the community with credits to help meet the city’s Chesapeake Bay pollutant reduction targets.

Environmental upgrades will include:

The sediment forebays will be easier to dredge in the future and greatly extend the intervals between dredging of the main pond. The aquatic benches create shallow water habitats for plants and animals.

Estimated Cost and Funding

This project will be partially paid for by the city's stormwater utility fee. The city was awarded $588,000 in Stormwater Local Assistance grant funding from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in 2021 to help pay for the $1.575 million project.

In the months ahead the project team will continue to refine the design, seek and incorporate input from the community, and obtain necessary environmental permits. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2023 and take 9-12 months to complete.

For more information, visit the project page on Engage Fairfax.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.