The Arlington County Department of Environmental Services has just launched a study to improve and retrofit the Ballston/Beaver Pond stormwater detention facility. The pond is located in the near by Bluemont neighborhood just off Fairfax Drive, Glebe Rd, Washington Blvd and I-66. The Ballston/Beaver Pond Stakeholder Group convened for its first stakeholder meeting on Saturday January 23rd at the Arlington Traditional School.
This set in motion an 11-month period where the retrofitting of the pond will be discussed and designed with extensive public input. Representatives from the County Departmental of Environmental Services and members of the hired consultant team from RK&K were on hand to conduct this first meeting. The meeting focused expectations for the stakeholder group, background on the County’s stormwater management program, the demonstrated need for the project and general thoughts about what the pond means to the surrounding community.
Along with the BVSCA, the Bluemont and Waycroft-Woodlawn Civic Associations are well represented in the Stakeholder group. Retrofitting the pond is a high priority project in the County’s stormwater management program. In the 1990’s, beavers moved into the pond and constructed a down near the outflow of the structure, raising the water level, creating ponds and wetlands. This created a habitat for both wildlife and plants. There was identified need for this project due to the fact that the pond is no longer operating as is was originally designed.
The goal of the Ballston/Beaver Pond Retrofit Study is to redesign the pond so that it maintains flood protection, improves the stromwater quality treatment and improves the wildlife habitat of the pond. This habitat will be improved by removing litter and invasive plant species, and replanting only native plants.
The funding for this project will come out of a special fund which is used only for stormwater quality improvement projects.
The first of three public forums will take place on February 24, 2011 at the NRECA building in Ballston at 4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203. The time is to be determined. We will post further details regarding this meeting as soon as they are available.
In the meantime we welcome any input, comments, questions, concerns regarding this matter. Please direct these to info@ballstoncivic.org. The following questions were used at the stakeholder meeting to stimulate discussion about the pond: What do you currently value about the pond? How do you currently use the pond and its surrounding area? What would you like to see improved about the pond/its surrounding area? What would you not like to see changed in this area?
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