Fairfax County will embark on a new search for a septage site in an effort to find an ideal dumping ground for waste in this part of the county.
Fairfax County announced in February that it wanted to move one of two county septic tank dumping sites from Colvin Run in Great Falls to Lake Fairfax Maintenance Area 6, a parcel on the Reston/Vienna line owned by the park authority.
The Colvin Run site, which is currently closed for nearby construction, has been used by sewage haulers since 1970. The facility is outdated, in a flood plain, smells and is poorly equipped to handle truck turnaround, county officials said.
Last winter, officials said it looked at six county sites, and found the Lake Fairfax one the only suitable one.
The proposed move did not sit well with area residents, who spoke up at a contentious community meeting. They told county Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) and consultants from Hazen and Sawyer that the Lake Fairfax spot, located near Hunter Mill Road’s one-lane bridge, was a poor choice because of proximity to homes, increased traffic on a country road and environmental hazards.
Lake Fairfax Park’s The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole opens for the season Saturday with some new features as part of it’s recent $5.5 million renovation.
New this year: Private family cabanas and umbrellas that you can reserve in advance. Some of the canopies can accommodate groups of 40-150 people. Rental fees range from $39 for a “funbrella” to $59 for a six-person umbrella to $300 for the 150-person party tent.
Visit The Water Mine’s website to learn more.
The Water Mine, which is run by the Fairfax County Park Authority, completed most of its renovations late last summer. The star attraction is a big, new slide tower with three chutes.
Other improvements include the individual cabanas; improved shaded seating areas in the grass area around the Water Mine; an additional play structure in the spray ground; and space for mobile food vendors.
Old favorites remain. Among them: the Rattlesnake River, a 725-foot lazy river feature, and Tenderfoot Pond, a zero-depth entry water play area for young patrons.
2016 prices:
- $15.95 – Over 48″ tall – weekends and holidays
- $14.85 – Over 48″ tall – Monday through Friday (except holidays)
- $12.25 – Under 48″ tall
- $9 – After 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays) Not available in August/September
- Free – 2 years old and younger
- Group Rates
- Season Pass
Photo: New slides at The Water Mine
Update: The Park Authority says the event has been cancelled.
Fairfax County needs your help to hunt and document snakes.
The county is conducting a survey of the “aggressive but misunderstood” water snakes that inhabit Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park.
From the Fairfax County Park Authority:
Water snakes get their name because they enjoy the water, but these non-venous reptiles have a bad rap because they are often confused with the dangerous water moccasin that has a similar look. Search with a naturalist for non-venomous water snakes and help to document their size, gender and location.
Here is what you need to know:
The count is Thursday, April 14 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Ages 8 through adults are invited to participate.
The cost is $6. Sign up online or call 703-471-5414.
Photo of North American water snake courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority.
Tickets are going fast for Saturday’s Pirate Fest at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston.
The annual festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., celebrates Virginia’s seafaring and port trading past.
Activities include:
- Sea chantey sing alongs, tavern tunes and pirate ditties.
- Learn nautical skills and experience the life of a sailor as you make your way around the port town.
- Wear your most dashing pirate clothes and enter our costume contest.
- Pirate-themed treasures to purchase.
Author Robert Prather will discuss his book The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver. Prather says recent discoveries indicate that Treasure Island’s notorious Long John Silver may have been based on the real-world exploits of legendary pirate and silver miner Jonathan Swift, who once lived in Alexandria, VA and who may have owned the land that Lake Fairfax Park now occupies.
Tickets are $10 available online.
There are a couple of add-ons to the main event for 2016, says the Fairfax County Park Authority.
A pirate boat ride on Lake Fairfax. Boat rides are $4 with festival admission. These tickets sell fast, so purchase in advance if you are considering the boat ride. Boat rides run every 20 minutes.
New this year: a Pirate Fest Feast at 5 p.m. $10
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub of Herndon will provide a hearty pirate meal at the lakeside pavilion. Tickets cost $10 per person. Make reservations and pay in advance online.
Pirate Fest at Lake Fairfax/file photo
Keep the poop out of the parkland and off of Hunter Mill Road.
That was the sentiment — if not the exact phrasing — of dozens of citizens who attended a community meeting with Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins in Reston on Thursday.
At issue is the county’s proposal to relocate a Septage Receiving Site from Colvin Run in Great Falls a few miles away to the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Maintenance Area 6, located off of Hunter Mill Road on the Reston-Vienna line.
The Colvin Run site, one of two septage receiving sites in Fairfax County, collects waste from septic tanks at homes not hooked into public sewer lines. In this part of the county, most of those homes are in Great Falls and Oakton. Overall, 21,000 Fairfax County homes do not have public sewer service, says a feasibility report on the potential move. Read More
Reston-area residents will have a chance to get more details about a septic waste receiving site that county officials are planning for Lake Fairfax Park land.
The current county dumping site is located on Colvin Run Road in Great Falls. Tank trucks deliver sewage from homes not tapped into the county sewer system — mostly ones on acreage in Great Falls and Oakton — and grease from area restaurants to the facility.
However the facility is outdated, has a flooding risk and other issues, says Fairfax County Park Authority Chair Bill Bouie.
The community meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Bechtel’s Conference Center, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston. Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins is expected to provide more information and answer questions.
Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services briefed park authority officials last week on its Septage Receiving Site Feasibility Study that found several reasons to move to a new site in Reston.
The county is proposing a secure, modern, odor-controlled facility off Hunter Mill Road. It is important to have the new plant located off a major road to minimize the impact on traffic, county officials said.
While the proposed new site is on park land, it is not in a part of Lake Fairfax Park that is accessible to citizens, said Bouie.
The Park Authority’s Area 6 Park Operations / Lake Fairfax Maintenance area is located in an isolated, employee-only part of the park. The septage facility would be heavily screened by trees and is not in a floodplain, according to the county’s proposal.
If you look into the sky on Tuesday and see a large Chinook helicopter, don’t be alarmed.
The Fairfax County Park Authority says the Chinook and associated crews will be taking part in a rescue training exercise at Lake Fairfax Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Chinook is a large helicopter mostly used in the United States by the military for troop movement and supplies.
The park authority says Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is participating with Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission in a mock deployment to neighboring state locations. Deployment requires a Landing Zone for a C-47 (Chinook Helicopter) to deploy a Pennsylvania swift water team supported by National Guard in the Fairfax County area.
Photo: Chinook/Wikimedia
The Fairfax County Park Authority is preparing for fall trout season by stocking Reston’s Lake Fairfax with 2,000 lbs. of rainbow trout.
Fall trout fishing season opens Saturday and runs through Nov. 8.
A total of 2,000 pounds of rainbow trout will be stocked in the lake, the park authority says.
There is a one pole and six-fish limit. For more details, visit the park authority website.
The trout come to Reston from Casta Line Trout Farm in Goshen, Va.
Daily fishing passes can be purchased from the Lake Fairfax Park’s main office. The fee is $15 for adults, $10 for 65+, and $7.50 for children 12 or younger.
In addition, fall season passes and yearly passes are available. Virginia freshwater fishing permit is also required.
Going fishing? Here’s a tip from Park Manager Dan: “Try fishing a Berkley Mice Tail three feet below a slip bobber on a 1/32 ounce of 1/16 ounce jig head.”
Lightning struck several times at Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park during Monday’s quick-but-strong thunderstorm.
Park managers said the visitors center, the boathouse and a tree all appeared to be hit by lightning when the storms rolled through about 4 p.m.
Children in the after-camp program were in the building at the time but were evacuated to the locker rooms at The Water Mine, managers said. The Water Mine also closed for the day when the storms came.
Fairfax County emergency crews were called and it was determined there were no injuries and no significant damage other than a damaged tree.
Photo: Emergency crews at Lake Fairfax Park/Credit: Paul Boyum
An area law firm is inviting the entire community to take part in its annual Hound Dog Day.
Law firm McCandlish Lillard has been celebrating Hound Dog Day — the calendar opposite of Groundhog Day — for years.
Attorneys at the law firm started Hound Dog Day years ago as a corollary to Groundhog Day.
The saying went, “if the hound dog crossed the porch and drank from his water bowl, we would have six more weeks of of summer.” If he didn’t stop for a drink, then fall would come early.
McCandlish Lillard is holding the free event Saturday, Aug. 1 at Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The community is invited to come enjoy kids activities such as face painting, jugglers, and a photo booth. There will also be live music, food trucks and pet-related vendors. Leashed dogs are also welcome.
All net proceeds from the event will go to local dog rescue groups FOHA (Friends of Homeless Animals), Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, Mutt Love Rescue and The Shiloh Project.
The Fairfax County Park Foundation and the Fairfax County Park Authority will mark the opening of a new bridge at Lake Fairfax Park that connects the Chestnut Grove Trail with other park facilities.
There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at Lake Fairfax at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The bridge was built with grants from local organizations. The Fairfax County Park Foundation (FCPF) secured a $25,000 grant from Dominion Virginia Power to purchase and install the new fiberglass bridge, place interpretive signage and upgrade a portion of natural surface trail along the Chestnut Grove Trail.
Park Authority staff also worked with the Mid-Atlantic International Mountain Bicycling Association and other community groups to to develop the project and identify additional funding. Total project costs were $60,000.
Because of the ruggedness of the Chestnut Grove Trail, the ribbon cutting will be held between sites 27 and 23 in C campground near a similar bridge located by the nature trail.
Visitors should drive to the C campground at Lake Fairfax Park. Signage will guide you to the ceremony and a two-mile guided hike to the new actual bridge will be held afterwards.
Photo courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority
Lake Fairfax Park will take on the adventure of the high seas on Saturday at the annual Pirate Fest.
This event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fairfax County Park Authority says it will be a chance for “high adventure and to explore life at sea and in a port town.” Tickets are $10 online or at the gate, and an additional $2 per person for the Pirate Boat Tour (must purchase time-stamped tickets in advance or at the door).
Among the activities:
- Talk with Moody Crewe about life on the high seas
- Sea Chanteys and Pirate Ditties by Ship’s Company Chanteymen
- Costume Contests for all ages
- Treasure Hunt
- Music by John DuranT
- Kids’ Kove Featuring sailing, science and craft activities
- Recycling Pirates Puppet Show
Kids are encouraged to wear pirate gear to win costume contest prizes in different categories. Pirate Fest will be held rain or shine.
Photo: Pirate Fest Boat on Lake Fairfax/Courtesy FCPA
Several residents of the Longwood Grove neighborhood have a new suggestion to quell the noise at the Baron Cameron Park Dog Park — they are seeking a county grant that will pay to move the off-leash area to another Fairfax County Park Authority location.
It has been nearly a year since the group of five Longwood Grove families whose homes are located across four-lane Wiehle Avenue from the dog park filed a lawsuit against the Park Authority.
In it, the plaintiffs called the park, the only off-leash dog run in Reston “a private nuisance” as the “the dog park noise, mainly from unruly dogs barking and fighting, has grown to intolerable levels over the last two years.”
The lawsuit asked for an immediate shutdown of the park. That did not happen.
So in January, the Longwood residents submitted to the Park Authority a Mastenbrook Grant application that seeks to relocate the dog park from its current location to Lake Fairfax Park.
Mastenbrook Grants are a Park Authority program, founded in 1999, that match funding (up to 50 percent of the total project cost or $20,000 maximum) for park projects. The aim is to fill a gap between limited bond funding and the community’s desire for new neighborhood facilities.Â
The grants have been used in the past for dog parks, playgrounds, greenhouses, shade gardens and other small improvements desired by civic groups, says the FCPA website.Â
It would be unprecedented to use grant funds to move a project to another park, said Park Authority Chairman Bill Bouie.
“As you know, a few Longwood Grove residents have been engaged in an ongoing dialogue with Fairfax County Park Authority about the dog park and have spent countless hours trying to resolve the issue to no avail,” one of the Longwood Grove residents said in an email obtained by Reston Now.
“On Jan. 21, Longwood Grove neighbors submitted to the Park Authority a Mastenbrook Grant application that, if approved, would relocate the dog park from its current location to Lake Fairfax. Read More
Twenty-two years ago, sleepy and suburban Lake Fairfax Park was the place to be — if you were a grunge fan in the mosh pit with other Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers fans.
The Fairfax County Park Authority Park in Reston was the venue for two Lollapalooza festivals, in 1991 and 1992. That was back when many of the acts, their fans, and the music festival were young.
Nothing like that has since been held at the park, now home to The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole, sports fields and a skate park, as well as bucolic scenery, trout fishing and lots of trees.
There is a reason for that, says Hal Strickland, who joined the board at the Sully District representative in late 1992 in the aftermath of the concerts.
Lollapalooza, founded by Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, went on hiatus for a while, but now has a permanent location in Chicago’s Grant Park. In its early years, the show traveled around the country, attracting up to 50,000 at some venues.
In Reston, the shows had estimated crowds of 25,000, and many attendees were treated for heat-related illnesses. Tickets for the all-day shows were $32.50.
After the first HFStival — a smaller show sponsored by former alternative radio station WHFS — took place at Lake Fairfax in 1990, Strickland said the park authority was pitched by Lollapalooza organizers.
The park authority was was under the impression that the festival would be somewhat family friendly, said Strickland.
“We were somewhat befuddled over the conduct of the attendees, ” says Strickland. “There was quite a bit of alcohol. And weed. And drugs. At no time did the park sanction that kind of event.”
Nearby residents were not too pleased, either. Traffic jams went several miles down Route 7, Baron Cameron Avenue and other major arteries. One neighbor told the Washington Post she was “enraged” at the concert being held here.
“They went ballistic,” Strickland said of nearby Reston residents. “They called the park authority. They called the Supervisors. Police got involved. Traffic was backed up for miles. [Concertgoers]Â were wandering into backyards.
On Saturday, Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park will turn into a harbor full of pirates and privateers at the park’s inaugural Pirate Fest.
The events run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance; $12 at the door; and $6 for Water Mine season ticket holder.
Here is what the Fairfax County Park Authority has in store:
A  Children’s Deck with pirate-themed moonbounces, puppet shows, stories and craft activities.
Pirates who will share stories about life on the high seas and lead pirate boat tours on the lake and lead singing of sea chanteys and tavern tunes.
A Pirate costume contest for kids.
A treasure hunt where participants will use their maps to find the spot marked by X.
For more info and advice for how to dress and talk like pirate, visit the Fairfax County Park Authority website.
