Arlington County receives grant to reduce erosion in Grandmas Creek

Arlington County has received a grant to mitigate erosion at Grandma’s Creek, a beloved stream in the Barcroft neighborhood.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded the county about $280,000 to help build rain gardens and plant more trees to slow the speed of rainwater runoff — excess water that builds up during storms and can carry pollutants. The county also plans to contribute matching funds.

“What our goals are with runoff is slow it down, spread it out and soak it … into the ground,” said Lily Whitesell, a storm water specialist for Arlington County. “So, when we can do that, that really helps to protect local streams.”

Grandma’s Creek is a tributary of Four Mile Run, a roughly nine-mile stream that connects to the Potomac River and goes through Fairfax and Arlington counties.

Rain gardens are not a new concept, but they have gained popularity as people have become more aware of the effects of climate change. Rain gardens are bowl-shaped structures that look like low garden beds but are designed to hold runoff water from roofs, roads and parking lots. The water then remains for a day or two until it soaks into the ground.

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The plants and soil from the rain gardens also help filter the rainwater, which can carry pollutants from the street and roofs.

Arlington County has already built some rain gardens through its Green Streets program. But it hasn’t built any in this particular watershed in Barcroft, Whitesell said. Community members in the neighborhood approached county officials about placing some in the area to protect Grandma’s Creek.

“What’s cool about this grant is that the community came to the county and said, ‘Hey, we really love our local stream … and we want to do more to protect it,’” Whitesell said. “It was really community-initiated.”

Through the grant, the county plans to also launch activities to teach people about pollutant prevention and ways to slow rainwater runoff, such as using rain barrels and building their own rain gardens.

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