Photographers braved the cold to capture moments from their New Year’s Day hikes for a chance to win the Fairfax County Park Authority’s (FCPA) First Hike Fairfax photo contest.
The annual contest invited Fairfax County residents to submit photos from their first hikes of 2026 on the park authority’s more than 420 parks and 334 miles of trails.
Fairfax County says it’s making steady progress toward its long-term goal of saving Lake Accotink from disappearing completely, but some residents worry the drawn-out timeline will make it harder — and more expensive — to preserve what’s left.
Years of sediment buildup from Accotink Creek have steadily shrunk the lake from 110 acres to about 49 acres. While the county has dredged the lake in the past — most recently in 1985 and 2008 — sediment continues to accumulate at a rate of 23,000 cubic yards per year.
Fairfax County is seeking public feedback on the future of Springfield’s Lake Accotink, which remains yet to be determined.
The county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services opened a survey today (Monday), allowing residents to weigh in on how to navigate the current challenges impacting the lake.
Fairfax County will break ground this month on a major rehabilitation of its Accotink Wastewater Pump Station.
The county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services approved a $71 million construction contract on July 3 that included the first-ever Project Labor Agreement (PLA) administered by a local government in Virginia, according to a press release.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has signed off on a four-year, $1.14 million partnership with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to examine sediment levels in Lake Accotink and Accotink Creek and identify the best strategies for preserving the lake.
The partnership follows a December 2023 recommendation by a task force of community members, environmental groups, nonprofits, and a Park Authority representative that found preserving 20 to 40 acres of the popular Springfield lake could be a viable alternative to either fully dredging it or letting it fill up and disappear.
Three people were killed last night (Wednesday) after being hit by a cargo train near Lake Accotink, police say.
Two adults and a child appear to have been walking on the train tracks above Accotink Creek near the Accotink Park Road crossing, according to the police and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Company, which operates the tracks.
“All were declared deceased on scene,” the Fairfax County Police Department said.
A Norfolk Southern spokesperson confirmed that a crash involving a northbound train occurred around 8:20 p.m. yesterday on the bridge over Accotink Creek. There were no reported injuries to the train crew, they told FFXnow.
Per scanner traffic on Open MHz, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched for a “medical emergency” on the train tracks at 8:25 p.m. By 8:38 p.m., responders reported that they had located all three victims on the creek banks under the railroad bridge.
The train tracks were shut down by Norfolk Southern, a dispatcher said at 8:38 p.m.
The FCPD initially described the victims as one adult and two children, but after further investigation, officers and detectives have identified the victims as 28-year-old Annandale resident Diego Arriaza, 28-year-old Lincolnia resident Yeraldin Pardo, and Pardo’s 8-year-old child.
Police believe the three people were walking on the northbound elevated train tracks when they “encountered a travelling freight train.”
“Detectives believe Arriaza was struck by the train, and Pardo and the child fell from the bridge,” the FCPD said.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police don’t believe speed or alcohol factored into the crash for the train engineer, but detectives are still determining whether alcohol may have been “a factor” for the pedestrians.
Norfolk Southern operates about 19,500 miles of cargo railroads in the eastern U.S. that transport fuel, agriculture, construction equipment, and other goods. In April, the company reached a $600 million settlement with residents affected by a toxic chemical spill that resulted from a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2023.
Screenshot via Google Maps
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors hopes to preserve a smaller version of Lake Accotink, but a number of questions still need to be answered before it commits to a specific action plan.
At Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw’s request, the board directed staff yesterday (Tuesday) to begin a series of studies to flesh out a task force’s determination that it would be feasible for the county to save 20 to 40 acres of the Springfield lake as opposed to fully dredging it or allowing it to disappear.
The best path forward for saving Lake Accotink might to let it shrink, a Fairfax County task force has proposed.
Created by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in May, the 30-person group was charged with exploring alternatives to fully dredging the sediment that has accumulated in the man-made body of water or converting it to a wetland, as recommended earlier this year by county staff.
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Lake Accotink is off limits entering the Fourth of July holiday weekend after an upstream sewage spill potentially contaminated the water.
Fairfax County has shut down all activities on the North Springfield lake, including fishing and boating, while the water is tested for bacteria.
Questions continue to swirl around Lake Accotink Park’s long-term future, but that hasn’t stopped Fairfax County from pursuing some needed facility upgrades.
This Saturday (June 3), the Fairfax County Park Authority will celebrate the completion of its new Accotink Creek Crossing, a 320-foot-long concrete trail and 325-foot, elevated pedestrian bridge that closes 3.9-mile trail loop around the North Springfield park.
