Urban Watershed Renaissance in the U.S. - Restoring 4-Mile Run

Name:  Mr. Doug Pickford 

Title:  Director, Department of Environmental Protection Division

Organisation:  Northern Virginia Regional Commission

Email: pickford@novaregion.org

Phone: 703-642-0700

Fax: 

Address: 

Title of Paper:   Urban Watershed Renaissance in the U.S. - Restoring 4-Mile Run

Abstract :

Four Mile Run in Northern Virginia is a watershed of many environmental, economic, and cultural contrasts.  Among the most urbanized watersheds in the United States, there is a constant struggle among local jurisdictions and local practitioners to promote community-led integrated economic development, environmental protection, social inclusion and preservation of heritage.  Although the watershed is less than 20 square miles, it is home to approximately 156,000 people who reside in adjacent portions of four localities; the counties of Arlington and Fairfax and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church. Approximately 85 percent of the watershed's land area has been developed and nearly 40 percent of the watershed is covered with impervious surfaces associated with this development (such as buildings and pavement). Wherever present, these man-made impervious surfaces prevent the natural process of groundwater infiltration from occurring, which in turn greatly increase the volume of surface water runoff that Four Mile Run and its few remaining tributaries must carry downstream. The urbanization process has replaced most of the watershed's natural stream channels with an elaborate network of storm sewers. These sewers carry the increased volume of surface runoff downstream much more quickly than would the natural channels that the storm sewers replaced, which causes "flashier" and larger stream flows. Runoff from the Four Mile Run watershed quickly makes its way into the Potomac River, and eventually drains into the Chesapeake Bay.

Addressing the challenges of  Four Mile Run has required a thoughtful plan of inter-jurisdictional cooperation, vision, and leadership.  Since 1977, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), has coordinated the Four Mile Run Management Program – a long-term effort to restore the natural landscape, water quality, and integrity of the watershed.  The NVRC, an intra-regional planning council in the State of Virginia, works with the four local authorities (Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria) to model stormflows, monitor water quality, and develop long-term land-use plans to aid with the restoration.  

Among the most noteworthy successes of the Four Mile Run restoration effort are (environmental, economic, social)………..

The successes of the NVRC and Four Mile Run’s restoration are relevant for an international audience for a variety of reasons.  First, the program embodies the principals of sustainable development and Local Agenda 21, by linking locally-led watershed protection efforts, social inclusion efforts, and watershed protection.  Second, the program’s success with applying low-impact development strategies evolved in part through a partnership between the NVRC and the Verband Region Stuttgart.  The application of green rooftops, rain gardens, and decentralized stormwater management systems emanated from peer-to-peer exchanges among politicians and practitioners from both regional planning authorities.