The Stormwater Division of the City’s Transportation and Environmental Services Department is planning to do major work on several streams in the City. The stated goal of this work is to help meet our city’s required reductions for the load of pollutants going to the Chesapeake Bay. The City is using a technique called Natural Channel Design, which sounds harmless, but is actually a method that is not well-suited for upper headwater streams in forested areas, like our Alexandria streams. The stream projects are major construction projects that will result in cutting down hundreds of mature trees and will completely alter the landscape surrounding these stream banks. Seminary Hill Association sent a letter to the City of Alexandria asking that all further planning for these projects be halted until more environmental review can be done.
