The water in Lake Thoreau is finally high enough to allow crews to begin clearing sediment.
Delayed from last fall due to insufficient water levels, Reston Association now anticipates beginning the approximately four-week process of dredging Lake Thoreau’s Westcove next week.
Nearly three years after a medical emergency abruptly halted a community meeting on the topic, Reston Association is reviving its consideration of a possible renaming of Lake Audubon.
The homeowners’ association anticipates holding a new community meeting to gather input on the proposal later this spring, while staff finalize a policy establishing a formal process for changing amenity names.
On paper, Reston’s lakes are open for all members of the public to visit, but in reality, usage of the lakes is uneven due to gaps in programming and amenities, a new report found.
After more than a year and a half of study, Reston Association’s Lakes Equity Working Group will present its assessment of the accessibility and inclusiveness of the four manmade lakes managed by RA at the board of directors’ meeting tonight (Thursday).
A petition campaign to save a local beaver at Kingstowne Lake won property management over: Wally will live.
According to residents, Wally moved to the man-made stormwater management pond known as Kingstowne Lake sometime in September last year. Whether it’s just one beaver or a couple is unclear — a licensed wildlife expert said over 60 trees had been damaged by the beaver, indicating there could be more than one.
Reston Association is lowering the water levels of its lakes, starting today (Monday).
Dam repair and inspection firm Bander Smith will perform annual spillway inspections at Newport, Thoreau and Audubon lakes, requiring them to be drained by up to 8 inches. Lake Anne will be drained by 2 feet to also allow for minor concrete repairs to its riser tower.
Reston Association has granted its Lakes Equity Working Group (LEWG) more time to complete its report on lake usage and accessibility until next summer.
The RA Board of Directors’ liaison to the group, Irwin Flashman, said at the board’s July 11 meeting that although the group has made progress, they needed more time to gather comprehensive data.
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.
Lake Anne and Lake Audubon in Reston are now clear of harmful algae that bloomed on the surface of the lakes last week.
Reston Association staff had reported “potentially harmful” algae in both lakes. Staff worked with an environmental contractor to determine if Lake Audubon was clear of the algae Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 9). Lake Anne was previously reported as safe.
The price tag affixed to dredging Lake Accotink has led some on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to say it might be time to pull the plug on restoration plans.
The Fairfax County park is popular, with over 250,000 visitors each year, but in a presentation to the board’s environmental committee yesterday (Tuesday), staff said the cost of the much-needed dredging project would be astronomical.
A new workgroup focused on ensuring the equitable enjoyment of Reston’s lakes for all is seeking members.
Formed on Dec. 15 by Reston Association’s Board of Directors, the Lakes Equity Work Group aims to “maximize the enjoyment of Reston’s four man-made lakes for all RA members, their families and friends,” according to a release by RA.
