Officials Cut Ribbon at Vienna Park After Stream Restoration

Officials from Vienna and Fairfax County, including Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova, Vienna Mayor M. Jane Seeman, Mason District Supervisor Penelope Gross and others gathered last weekend to commemorate the restoration of Wolftrap Stream in Wildwood Park in Vienna.

A section of Wolftrap Creek in Vienna’s Wildwood Park, located at 700 Follin Lane, SE, was restored through a partnership between the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environment Services and the Town Council of Vienna.

The restoration transformed the stream from a deeply incised channel with eroding banks to an environmental benefit for people and animals.

Many town and county residents enjoy the park. The restoration resulted in significant water quality improvements, according to the county, including removal of an estimated 162 pounds per year of Total Phosphorous; 352 pounds per year of Total Nitrogen; and 154 tons per year of Total Suspended Solids.

The project raised the stream bed and reconnected the stream to the floodplain. The stream banks were sloped and unstable trees were removed. Native trees, shrubs and other plants were installed as part of the stream restoration. Newly planted vegetation provides habitat for small mammals, song birds and amphibians. The new plants help stabilize the stream banks and filter out pollutants.