Public Works and Environmental Services Alert:
There are over 1,600 miles of streams and associated channels in Fairfax County and more than 1.1 million people. To support our large population, we have lots of infrastructure such as roads, houses, malls, libraries, and schools. As we develop our land, many of our streams have eroded or over-widened when too much stormwater runoff is sent to our streams quickly instead of soaking into the ground. As streams shift, our stormwater infrastructure (pipes that carry runoff from houses, shopping centers, and roads to our streams) may be damaged and need repair.
In order to assess the current condition of our streams and our stormwater infrastructure, staff from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services perform visual stream physical assessments annually in the winter and early spring seasons. Only a portion of the county will be assessed per year. Please see the Stream Physical Assessment Map for the area of the county that has been assessed.
Results from the assessment will be used to:
If you have concerns about erosion or flooding on your property, please report any flooding or erosion concerns using the Contact Maintenance and Stormwater Management form.