Verifying Fairfax County Stream Restoration Pollution-Reduction Performance
Rachael Holland, PE
Fairfax County Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division (MSMD)
Fairfax, VA
Authors: Holland, Rachael M, PE
Fairfax County has an inventory of over 120 completed stream restoration projects that are credited toward reducing Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) nutrient and sediment pollutants. These projects span more than 27 miles of streams restored over a 14-year period. The Fairfax County Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division (MSMD) inspects and maintains these 27 miles of restored streams and channels in addition to roughly 200 miles of constructed channels with County maintenance responsibility.
The Chesapeake Bay BMP verification framework requires that stream restoration projects must be inspected every five years to ensure they continue to earn their pollutant reduction credit toward the Bay TMDL. The continued verification of pollution-reduction performance protects the investment of community resources dedicated to creating and preserving a sustainable community. Verification ensures that restoration projects remain intact, function as intended, and are properly maintained over their lifespan. Fairfax County staff participated in the Chesapeake Bay Program expert panel and developed a verification scorecard and methodology in conjunction with development of the recommended methods to verify stream restoration practices, which were approved in 2019. Since then, verification has been performed annually for streams that are at the end of their 5-year credit cycle. Initial inspections are simple, quick, repeatable, and use numeric failure thresholds. Further investigation and maintenance are carried out as needed. The verification inspections performed by MSMD provide observations and data to support the lifespan of restoration practices and inform the management of these assets over time.
This presentation will provide an overview of the internal process used to manage the work of pollution-reduction performance inspections. As a case study, the presentation will showcase visual results from the 2024 inspections. Through continued inspections and maintenance, Fairfax County ensures the long-term success of its stream restoration efforts, contributing to a healthier Chesapeake Bay and a sustainable community.
About Rachael Holland, PE
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