The Future of Lake Accotink: Study and Engagement Survey

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Lake Accotink provides valuable recreational opportunities to Fairfax County residents and supports a variety of wildlife. Lake Accotink is important to people from different cultures and backgrounds, for many reasons. However, due to the large, developed area upstream, and the significant amounts of sediment that flows into the lake, continuing to dredge the lake to maintain its current size, might be too expensive, too impactful to our natural resources, or too disruptive to adjacent communities.

Preservation Feasibility Study

The Smaller Lake Accotink Preservation Feasibility Study (“the study”) is an effort to better understand what is happening within Lake Accotink, in the Accotink Creek that feeds into it, and identify what actions are feasible to maintain the smaller lake in a sustainable, equitable, and cost-effective manner. In late 2023, the Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink ("the Task Force") found that a smaller lake, 20-40 acres, would "meet significant community and social goals." The work of the Task Force also documented the need for additional study and analysis. In response to the Task Force report, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has initiated the following studies:

  • Sedimentation Rate Study - to better understand how much sediment is transported to Lake Accotink from Accotink Creek, and how much is escaping (or exiting) the lake downstream.
  • Dam Assessment – to determine the improvements and maintenance needed to ensure long-term regulatory compliance and safe functioning of the Lake Accotink Dam.
  • Preservation Feasibility Study – to assess the feasibility of preserving various smaller lake options, (20 to 40 acres, 4 to 8 feet deep) and determine the best management methods, planning level costs, regulatory and permitting challenges, maintenance dredging intervals, and other key aspects.

The County is working with an independent design and engineering firm to conduct the Smaller Lake Accotink Preservation Feasibility Study, which will evaluate potential smaller lake options. The study will be coordinated with and utilize results from the Accotink Creek sediment study and the Lake Accotink dam assessment. Several questions in this survey will ask for feedback on the draft scope of work for this study. If you would like to provide feedback on the draft scope of work for this study, we encourage you to review it prior to beginning the survey. The draft scope of work can be found here: Scope of Work Document

We want your input 

Public input is critical to ensuring the study adequately addresses resident and stakeholder questions and concerns. The Task Force's findings addressed the methodology used in the 2023 Lake Accotink Dredging Community Survey and this survey is intended to ensure the community has input on the questions to be addressed by the study and to build lines of communication with the public to share information and collect feedback as the study progresses.

This survey should take ten minutes or less to complete. As a thank you for participation, adults (age 18+) can enter to win one of ten $100 gift cards at the end of the survey. 

Please note: This survey will close on October 30, 2024.