Falls Church Council Adopts Watershed Management Plan

Falls Church city council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt the watershed management plan.

Several city residents in attendance spoke out against the plan and asked council to defer and vote later after more research was done.

The plan, which includes 11 construction projects around the city totaling about $3.2 million, focuses on reducing flooding, improving watershed management and continuing with regulation compliance. According to the city, each series of actions is categorized into short-term actions (less than five years); mid-term actions (five to ten years); and, long-term actions (ten years and beyond). The projects represent the city’s initial five year effort in meeting the new state and federal water quality obligations associated with Chesapeake Bay water quality improvements. Public Works Director Bill Hicks said the plan is a product of more than two years of work by a committee composed of city employees and citizens.

“I think it’s a very good plan,” he said during the meeting.

While some residents at the meeting complained about flooding that occurred after a heavy downpour on Sept. 8, George and Anne Topic said they have had problems with flooding over the last six years. The couple said the problem is debris flowing into the city’s drainage system causing water to collect on their property.

“The threat of flooding in our area is misrepresented in the plan,” she said, requesting the city take longer to conduct more research.

Edwin Henderson said he has spent thousands of dollars repairing flood damage and wants the city to do something to prevent heavy flooding. He said the city’s watershed system can’t handle heavy rains.

“The problem seems to be capacity,” Henderson said. “When you have water coming over the curb and onto my property that’s a capacity problem.”