WTF they can't get rid of the Lake! I grew up in Ravensworth and it was an awesome place to hang out.

http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/fairfax_county/lake-accotink-in-danger-of-becoming-no-more/article_0c397da4-1ece-11e6-9ec1-431c56f74e00.html

Downthedrian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WTF they can't get rid of the Lake! I grew up in
> Ravensworth and it was an awesome place to hang
> out.
>
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/fairfax_count
> y/lake-accotink-in-danger-of-becoming-no-more/arti
> cle_0c397da4-1ece-11e6-9ec1-431c56f74e00.html


Pave it over. Put in section 8 housing. Problem solved. Celebrate diversity.

Yeah fill in the lake and keep the park with picnic grounds and mini golf. The rest of the park can be turned into a Days inn, Olive garden and a couple mattress stores maybe a taco bell too!

That would be too bad. It's not much of a lake but it's a lot better than nothing and a lot of people do use it.

They should have done more to fix it when they shut it down not that long ago. I was kind of surprised by how little they did after going to the trouble. Just scooped out a small channel and that was about it.

Canoe renter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah fill in the lake and keep the park with
> picnic grounds and mini golf. The rest of the park
> can be turned into a Days inn, Olive garden and a
> couple mattress stores maybe a taco bell too!

It will be the next Vienna!

One of the reasons that they would like to get rid of Lake Accotink is to remove the potential for it to be the recipient of the leakages from the Pickett Road Tank Farm. Look at a map and you will find two creeks that feed Lake Accotink, with their sources near the tank farm. One flows through Mantua and the other through Olde Creek and Rutherford. Both have previously been polluted from the tank farm.

The easiest solution is to pump the sediment from the lake upstream and use it for stream erosion control. Unfortunately, the EPA has declared that the eroded areas are now wetlands and cannot be filled in.

At what point was there the pedestrian bridge going over the dam?

It's a shame that getting rid of the lake is even being considered. I enjoyed that lake as a kid and I've enjoyed it as an adult. Hand dredging sounds painfully slow and laborious. Isn't there a machine that the county can rent (even from another state) to make the dredging go faster?

Easy job if the Feds are not involved. Trump will make Lake Accotink Great Again!

I am surprised this is only now becoming public. I had heard the County was going to eliminate the lake several months ago, and I suspect they've been thinking about it since before the last time Lake Accotink was drained.

From what I have seen Lake Accotink appears to be an extremely well used park. It has several things working against it though. It is located in the east-central portion of the county which is not an area the county is trying to build up. Its location within neighborhoods and its topography make it difficult for the county to use part of it for ball fields. It is more expensive to maintain than lower cost nature preserves, and it is too large to expect nearby neighborhoods to preserve it.

let it be -- and get to only 1 foot deep -- use it as a "safe" ice skating and ice sports place in the winter.

interesting how man made lakes need so much maintenance ...

what a shame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's a shame that getting rid of the lake is even
> being considered. I enjoyed that lake as a kid
> and I've enjoyed it as an adult. Hand dredging
> sounds painfully slow and laborious. Isn't there
> a machine that the county can rent (even from
> another state) to make the dredging go faster?

When I lived in Ravensworth back in the 80's they used a dredging machine that ran 24/7. It had tubes dumping the silt in holes they dug in the woods.

Do not drain the lake, trust me it's really bad and stuff for the environment.

Already Do Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------
> When I lived in Ravensworth back in the 80's they
> used a dredging machine that ran 24/7. It had
> tubes dumping the silt in holes they dug in the
> woods.


I remember that too. Supposedly that's where Jimmy Hoffa was buried, under all that silt in the woods where nobody would find him.

I've wanted that place drained for years.

Katelin Akens vanished from Springfield, VA in early December 2015. The 19-year-old, who hails from Arizona, was last seen heading out to a Virginia airport. According to reports, Katelin’s stepfather was supposed to drive her to the airport to catch a flight home to Arizona, but she wanted to go to a local mall instead, saying she would continue on to Reagan National airport via public transportation. As far as Katelin’s loved ones know, she never made it. According to WRIC, her stepfather’s car was indeed seen in the area of the mall that day, though Akens herself was apparently not. If you know anything, contact 540-582-7115.

local contractor. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do not drain the lake, trust me it's really bad
> and stuff for the environment.

We prefer to use Lake Royal.

We're lobbying to never have any lakes drained in Fairfax County.

Draining Lake Royal would be really bad for business so I'm in!

I bike around the lake a couple times a week - its sort of pretty. Lets not fool ourselves though that water is disgusting. The last dredging was a farce it filled in as soon as they widened the beltway and metric tons of silt filled in the dredge. Let it return to a meadow then a forest.

The only downside is that then all that silt will simply wash downstream into the Pohick and potomac - not so great for the bay.

Remember like 25+ years ago when the whole lake turned bright green for like 2 years? Something got out of wack.

The question boils down to whether or not the county is willing to cough up the cash to dredge the lake again. The 1984 dredging cost about $3 million, while the 2005 dredging cost $8 million.

Dredging it again will likely cost at least $10 million, and maybe a whole lot more.

The bigger question is what happens to the Gerry Connolly Trail just to the south of the lake.

Cold case detective Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've wanted that place drained for years.
>
> Katelin Akens vanished from Springfield, VA in
> early December 2015. The 19-year-old, who hails
> from Arizona, was last seen heading out to a
> Virginia airport. According to reports,
> Katelin’s stepfather was supposed to drive her
> to the airport to catch a flight home to Arizona,
> but she wanted to go to a local mall instead,
> saying she would continue on to Reagan National
> airport via public transportation. As far as
> Katelin’s loved ones know, she never made it.
> According to WRIC, her stepfather’s car was
> indeed seen in the area of the mall that day,
> though Akens herself was apparently not. If you
> know anything, contact 540-582-7115.

I'm sorry to here about the disappearance of this young woman but Accotink Lake is at least 5 miles from that mall and further than that from those airports. There are bodies of water in Kingstown that are closer to the mall. Is there a reason to think she went to that park?

Canoe renter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah fill in the lake and keep the park with
> picnic grounds and mini golf. The rest of the park
> can be turned into a Days inn, Olive garden and a
> couple mattress stores maybe a taco bell too!


and a shiny new Chick-Fil-A !

How would knocking down the damn help the lake survive?

Depends.
Attachments:

The thing that is frustrating about this is that the dredging is expected maintenance that could have (and I think should have) been planned for.

It's not like they didn't know for years in advance that this was going to have to be done. And it doesn't sound as though there is anything wrong or different with the lake now - it just needs basic maintenance.

Is every lake in the county on the table for elimination or is it just Lake Accotink? Because letting this lake go would open the door for eliminating Burke Lake or Lake Royal or any other county lake from the budget too...just something to think about.

As this lake has a history of being polluted, and a hazard to the health of the citizens, it is better to eliminate this sewer.

Drain off the water, and cap the lake basin with clay. This will open the land for development of the 246 acres.

There was a dam from 1818 to 1922 that created the first Lake Accotink.

The current dam was constructed during WWII, and this is what we have today.

I notice Burke Lake is shallow on the far end by Burke Lake Rd and also on the far side of the bird island...in hindsight I guess that is silt coming in ...dunno if anyone studies Burke Lake to decide the health if it, but its pretty deep by the time you get to the dann end

Health Risks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As this lake has a history of being polluted, and
> a hazard to the health of the citizens, it is
> better to eliminate this sewer.
>
> Drain off the water, and cap the lake basin with
> clay. This will open the land for development of
> the 246 acres.
>
> There was a dam from 1818 to 1922 that created the
> first Lake Accotink.
>
> The current dam was constructed during WWII, and
> this is what we have today.

Part of the reason Lake Accotink was discontinued as a water source for Fort Belvoir (the reason the 1943 dam was built) is that the water was found in the late 50's to be too contaminated for further use as the base's water supply.

This was due to the astoundingly brilliant idea of using Accotink creek and its tributaries as discharge points for sewage treatment plants in Fairfax and Vienna. Fairfax alone was dumping over two million gallons a day of human shit and other pollutants into the creek, hoping that flowing through 8 miles of stream would somehow magically clean the water to a level safe for human consumption.

When the county took over the reservoir in 1960, it was quickly established that the water was polluted with 7 to 8 times the safe level of bacteria for swimming.

Runoff from the explosive suburban development in the county also took its toll. By 1970, silt had so thoroughly filled the lake, formerly measured at a depth of 23 feet, that draining it took 3 days instead of the expected 23.

That pedestrian bridge went over the damn, when was that around? I imagine they would bring it back if they decide to knock down the dam.

Health Risks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>>
> Drain off the water, and cap the lake basin with
> clay. This will open the land for development of
> the 246 acres.
>
>


You sound like a complete pussy.

First off, crap article, the cause of the dramatic increase in the sediment was caused by the creation of the HOT lanes.

It was documented and pointed out repeatedly during the construction.
Flour-Transurban got away with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l58QgamD2dQ

The anti-tax and anti-regulation crowd have no room to bitch on this one.
These are the types of things that can happen when the government needs money (privatized roads) and isn't allowed to regulate.
Taxpayers pay. One way or another.

Dear Fairfax Underground,
What is Lake Accotink?

Signed,
All Millenials

Phantom.Letter.Writer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Fairfax Underground,
> What is Lake Accotink?
>
> Signed,
> All Millenials


It's some nasty lake I recently discovered as its a Pokestop.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/lakeaccotink.htm

More information here on the master plan.

Does anybody remember what was there at Lake Accotink before they built the lake? Somebody a long time ago told me that it was a farm of some sort, but I can't find any information on it. Does anybody have any info? Any pics? Thanks!

Fill it in and build a Captain D's we need one around here. Manassas is too far away.

I like Arthur Treacher's better than Captain D's, but you just can't find them anymore.

By the way, I think Lake Accotink used to be a goat farm before they built the lake. I have an old pic of it somewhere and I'll post it if I can find it.

Bella Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anybody remember what was there at Lake
> Accotink before they built the lake? Somebody a
> long time ago told me that it was a farm of some
> sort, but I can't find any information on it. Does
> anybody have any info? Any pics? Thanks!


Accotink Indians winter home.

Bella Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anybody remember what was there at Lake
> Accotink before they built the lake? Somebody a
> long time ago told me that it was a farm of some
> sort, but I can't find any information on it. Does
> anybody have any info? Any pics? Thanks!

The problem is that anyone who remembers what was at Lake Accotink before the dam was built in 1943 is now likely in their 80s.

Before that, there was an earlier dam that was built around 1918 to impound the Accotink Creek and provide a reservoir for what was then called Camp A. A. Humphreys, but is now better known as Fort Belvoir. That dam was dynamited in the early 1920's, I believe because it caused problems with the railroad trestle.

The railroad tracks were double-tracked and straightened about 1903, and before that the wound along a course that's now the Accotink trail on the west side and Accotink Park Road on the east side.

There were two rail stops within what's now Lake Accotink Park: Ravensworth and Ditchley.

Ravensworth was built by the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in the 1850's when they originally ran the line through the Ravensworth plantation. It was later a favorite of wanna-be train robbers who'd divert the trains off the main line onto the siding there, hoping to wreck the train.

Ditchley was established later, at the end of the 19th century, and there was a powder mill there that blew up in August 1900 and injured a worker while they were manufacturing an explosive called "Jovite".

Finally, there was a foray out from the Burke's Station Raid in December 1862 to burn the railroad bridge over the Accotink Creek.

fracturedfairfax Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bella Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anybody remember what was there at Lake
> > Accotink before they built the lake? Somebody a
> > long time ago told me that it was a farm of
> some
> > sort, but I can't find any information on it.
> Does
> > anybody have any info? Any pics? Thanks!
>
> The problem is that anyone who remembers what was
> at Lake Accotink before the dam was built in 1943
> is now likely in their 80s.
>
> Before that, there was an earlier dam that was
> built around 1918 to impound the Accotink Creek
> and provide a reservoir for what was then called
> Camp A. A. Humphreys, but is now better known as
> Fort Belvoir. That dam was dynamited in the early
> 1920's, I believe because it caused problems with
> the railroad trestle.
>
> The railroad tracks were double-tracked and
> straightened about 1903, and before that the wound
> along a course that's now the Accotink trail on
> the west side and Accotink Park Road on the east
> side.
>
> There were two rail stops within what's now Lake
> Accotink Park: Ravensworth and Ditchley.
>
> Ravensworth was built by the Orange and Alexandria
> Railroad in the 1850's when they originally ran
> the line through the Ravensworth plantation. It
> was later a favorite of wanna-be train robbers
> who'd divert the trains off the main line onto the
> siding there, hoping to wreck the train.
>
> Ditchley was established later, at the end of the
> 19th century, and there was a powder mill there
> that blew up in August 1900 and injured a worker
> while they were manufacturing an explosive called
> "Jovite".
>
> Finally, there was a foray out from the Burke's
> Station Raid in December 1862 to burn the railroad
> bridge over the Accotink Creek.

fracturedfairfax Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bella Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anybody remember what was there at Lake
> > Accotink before they built the lake? Somebody a
> > long time ago told me that it was a farm of
> some
> > sort, but I can't find any information on it.
> Does
> > anybody have any info? Any pics? Thanks!
>
> The problem is that anyone who remembers what was
> at Lake Accotink before the dam was built in 1943
> is now likely in their 80s.
>
> Before that, there was an earlier dam that was
> built around 1918 to impound the Accotink Creek
> and provide a reservoir for what was then called
> Camp A. A. Humphreys, but is now better known as
> Fort Belvoir. That dam was dynamited in the early
> 1920's, I believe because it caused problems with
> the railroad trestle.
>
> The railroad tracks were double-tracked and
> straightened about 1903, and before that the wound
> along a course that's now the Accotink trail on
> the west side and Accotink Park Road on the east
> side.
>
> There were two rail stops within what's now Lake
> Accotink Park: Ravensworth and Ditchley.
>
> Ravensworth was built by the Orange and Alexandria
> Railroad in the 1850's when they originally ran
> the line through the Ravensworth plantation. It
> was later a favorite of wanna-be train robbers
> who'd divert the trains off the main line onto the
> siding there, hoping to wreck the train.
>
> Ditchley was established later, at the end of the
> 19th century, and there was a powder mill there
> that blew up in August 1900 and injured a worker
> while they were manufacturing an explosive called
> "Jovite".
>
> Finally, there was a foray out from the Burke's
> Station Raid in December 1862 to burn the railroad
> bridge over the Accotink Creek.


Do you have any pictures of that old alignment? And any photos of the former footbridge that went over the dam?

Here is what happened at the April 24 meeting:

Meeting Presentation - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/Downloads/lap-mtg-presentation-042417.pdf

Meeting Display Boards - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/Downloads/lap-mtg-displayboards-042417.pdf

Meeting Summary - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/Downloads/lap-mtg-summary-042417.pdf

Use railroad cars to haul the crap away easy!

Only faggots need man made lakes. The banks of Accotink are havens for faggotry.

Good! Will keep ms13 spics out

What will happen to the creek?

The lake takes up a lot of space that they need to erect nice expensive condos upon so they can import more illegals and give them a nice place to live. They plan to turn the lake into high density section 8 enclave.

Lake Accotink Park is one of the most dangerous areas of Fairfax County, routinely used by MS-13 and other gangs.

18 MS-13 arrests for just one killing at Lake Accotink.

If you get the Washington Post, there are two stories in it today about this murder.... it was gruesome.

They could re-route some of the run-off rain water and thus minimize the dredging which is costly.

They also could expand the recreational area and add long range motion sensor lights mounted on high poles to ward off night time mayhem but the Misguided Suckers (MS-13).

There are projects underway to improve the conditions of the watershed area and tributaries.

See County Website.

Sounds like they need to re-route some of the illegals flowing in from the Mexican border to minimize the real sludge problem that the park and the county is experiencing.

If they eliminate Lake Accotink where will the gangs hangout?

Nature is a beast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They could re-route some of the run-off rain water
> and thus minimize the dredging which is costly.

In the meetings leading up to the last dredging of the lake one participant suggested that the divide the lake into upper and lower sections so the upper section could be used to capture sediment runoff. County officials nodded politely and then probably forgot the suggestion.

There is a petition to save the LAKE, the link is on this thread:

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/30/2822832.html

The cost to upkeep the Lake with Dredging and annual costs may not be worth it however.
It seems incredibly expensive.

Another Loss 4TheCommunity? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is a petition to save the LAKE, the link is
> on this thread:
>
> http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/30/28
> 22832.html
>
> The cost to upkeep the Lake with Dredging and
> annual costs may not be worth it however.
> It seems incredibly expensive.

And, yet, the maintenance on this lake has been a well known thing for literally decades. If Lake Accotink can cease to be a priority, the other lakes in the county might cease to be a priority, too.

Its a nice park. The lake serves as a habitat for a large bird population. Been a pain in the ass to keep from filling with silt though and the damn looks pretty bad. I mt bike around there and have never seen any gang member or criminals. Mostly families (especially hispanic) enjoying the bbq areas.

Its very nice to have this park in the area. Letting the lake revert to a meadow with a creek would eventually create more mt. bike trails but the beauty of the water would be gone.

There is a growing belief that Fairfax County is abandoning the eastern part of the county like it abandoned Route 1. Letting Lake Accotink go will be seen as more proof. The facility is well used from spring to fall, and its trails are busy almost year round. It is the second most important recreation area in the eastern county behind Wakefield. County Park Service already chose to defer much needed repairs and improvements at Wakefield.

I can see it now:
The Lofts in Lake Accotink - vibrant new mega highrises with greenspace on the rooftops. Dreamy.

To read about the Lake Accotink Master Plan Revision, go here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/planning-development/lakeaccotink

smelly cat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can see it now:
> The Lofts in Lake Accotink - vibrant new mega
> highrises with greenspace on the rooftops. Dreamy.


Accotink Towne Centre!

Been enjoying Lake Accotink since 2000 when I moved into Annandale.

Maybe it's true: growing old makes one a fiscal conservative.

While I appreciate the lake itself, the trail, and the amenities, I cannot fathom spending $43M (the last number I heard) to dredge Lake Accotink and to then spend more money annually to maintain the lake.

It will take time for the lake to recede (likely faster than my hairline). If doing so results in a stream or creek, we maintain the watershed, keep the park relatively untouched, and avoid the need for construction crews and boat/dock upkeep.

Seems like the better of two potential outcomes as long as FFXCO keeps development at arm's length.

Otherwise, what we really need is another mixed-use development!!! It's too long a drive to Mosaic, FFX Corner and STC from Braddock & the Beltway.

Before the lake was made by the Army Corps of Engineers, there was only the creek running through.
The sediment from upstream with the landscape, slopes etc. causes for dredging (it left alone, it will return to being merely a creek).
Why fight nature?
The Park can be recreated in some fashion for other purposes, the creek and path will remain.
No big deal.

Boat and Fish Elsewhere.

It is a big deal.

The County doesn't simply have the option of doing nothing and allowing the lake to slowly fill in. The lake isn't a natural condition. If the County chooses to no longer maintain it as a lake, they will be required to drain it and remove the dam. So if the County chooses not to maintain the lake it will then need to figure out the point at which it will be drained, and it will need to finance the dam removal.

The next problem is that the Lake has been acting as a sediment catcher for about a third of the county. That sediment isn't going to stop flowing down Accotink Creek simply because the lake isn't there. It will now be continuing downstream, which may affect downstream owners. It will also affect the Potomac shoreline near where Accotink Creek empties into the river.

Then there is the question of what to do with the park and the reclaimed lake bed after the water is gone. It could continue on in its existing uses without the lake being there. However the land could also be used to build some much needed fields for recreational activities. The latter course would increase traffic along the neighborhood streets leading to the park. As a lake area resident I assume that would be a concern for you.

That's like 3 firefighters if you include overtime pay