[Archived] Four Mile Run Undergoes Spring Cleaning

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	February 7, 2006 PIO# 035-06/sjm	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

Four Mile Run Undergoes Spring Cleaning
Alexandria and Arlington Collaborate to Clean Out Flood Channel

Between Feb. 7 and March 30, the City of Alexandria and Arlington County will be removing extensive sediment deposits and vegetation from the Four Mile Run flood channel. The maintenance work will help ensure flood protection for residents and businesses along lower Four Mile Run. The flood channel extends from I-395 to the mouth of Four Mile Run where it joins the Potomac River.

The Four Mile Run flood channel was built in the 1970s by the Army Corps of Engineers, following several devastating floods in the Arlandria area. The flood channel was designed to be a certain width and depth to carry the flow of Four Mile Run during major rain events. Over time, sand and gravel builds up in the channel, and plants begin to grow on the sandbars, lowering the capacity of the channel. The sandbars and plants reduce the amount of space in the channel for floodwaters and could cause flooding in the event of a large rain event. Periodically, the City of Alexandria and Arlington County must remove the sandbars and vegetation from the channel.

During February and March, residents will see crews working in or near Four Mile Run to remove sand and gravel deposits, trees, shrubs, and other vegetation that is growing in the channel. Removal of sand and gravel will be more extensive near the W. Glebe Road and Mt. Vernon Avenue bridges. The sediment and plant material may be temporarily stockpiled in locations adjacent to the stream before it is loaded onto trucks for recycling or disposal.

The City and the County are working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission on the Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan, which has been developed through an extensive public process over the past two years. A central component of the master plan is the restoration of the natural stream processes within the flood channel corridor, while also maintaining flood protection. The design for the restored stream will reduce sediment deposition within the corridor and also include vegetation appropriate for a flood control channel. The Final Draft Restoration Master Plan will be considered by the Alexandria City Council and the Arlington County Board in March. The current channel maintenance activities are not related to the Restoration Master Plan, but are required by the existing agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.

The City of Alexandria and Arlington County are working together to limit the need for such maintenance in the future.

For more information on the cleaning of the Four Mile Run flood channel, call Bill Skrabak of the City of Alexandria at 703.519.3400, extension 163, or Aileen Winquist of Arlington County at 703.228.3610; or e-mail william.skrabak@alexandriava.gov or awinquist@arlingtonva.us.

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