After 3 years of working with Loudoun County on a resolution to control storm water runoff from Barnswallow Ct through Parcel F, reconstruction of the existing dirt channel is finally set to begin August 9th, 2021. This reconstruction will remediate, at no expense to Cardinal Glen homeowners, a longstanding problem our neighborhood has had with flooding and erosion in Parcel F. In addition, Loudoun County will assume responsibility for channel maintenance from the culvert behind 13 Barnswallow Ct to the culvert between 18 Coloma Ct and 200 Cardinal Glen Cir. (i.e. the entire length of the channel).
Unavoidably, this reconstruction will involve the use of heavy machinery, disturbance of up to a 20-foot wide swatch of Parcel F common ground, the felling of some common ground trees, and a fair bit of loud noise during weekday daytime hours for up to 5 weeks from the date of reconstruction commencement.
Here is what reconstruction of the channel will consist of:
- The county will re-grade and widen the existing channel to a maximum of 12 ft (it is currently a max. of 10 ft wide). They will gently slope the sides and lay down an erosion preventative material over the entire channel length. This will stabilize the channel and keep sediment from piling up at the bottom end. The material the county will use is called Flexamat. You can read about it and see pictures of it at https://www.flexamat.com/. It allows some vegetation to grow up through it and animals and people can easily walk on it.
- The channel bottom will be approximately 4 ft wide (it is currently a maximum of 6 ft wide and is shallow in some spots, deeply eroded in others). The anticipated minimum and maximum depth of the retrofit channel will be 1.75 ft to 2 ft (this is channel bottom to top of slope).
- The county will extend and enclose the existing culvert that empties into Parcel F from behind 13 Barnswallow Ct. in order to ensure the direction of water flow into the retrofit channel.
- The county will repair and reinforce the current rip-rap at the head and foot of the channel.
For those properties which abut Parcel F, this work is most certainly going to appear alarmingly invasive; however, please rest assured:
- During reconstruction, the county will not encroach on any private property for which they do not already have a right of easement.
- The new retrofit channel will continue to rest completely on HOA common ground. No portion will cross over onto private property, although the outer edge of the retrofit channel may border a few private property lines.
- All private property fences will be left intact.
- Once reconstruction has been completed, the county will reforest all disturbed areas using native plantings and, if the HOA deems expedient, will plant replacement trees, all at no cost to the HOA.
- The county ran repeated virtual simulations with this retrofit using continuous flood water storm conditions (not just a once-in-a-100-year flood rainfall) and are confident water will no longer jump channel banks regardless of how many heavy rainfalls we get in single season.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while this vital work takes place. Should you have any questions or concerns not addressed above, please email the HOA Board via Contact Us.