Fairfax County is situated in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and has a significant number of lakes, ponds, rivers, and other bodies of water. However, nearly half of the streams randomly sampled had “poor” or “very poor” conditions. 

Why are water features important? 

• Homes to many native vegetation and wildlife 

• Supports soil formation 

• Regulation of water quality, climate, and disease 

• Provisioning services e.g. drinking water and food supply

Environmental Problem: 

• Increased water temp. from extreme heat

  • More evaporation

  • Intensified algae blooms

  • Decreased oxygen levels, killing aquatic life & impacting balance between warm-water fish and shellfish

• Heavy Precipitation leading to increased flooding 

• Coastal flooding of the Potomac River

  • Rivers are destabilised because they deposit more sediments into channels, raising riverbeds

  • Significant stream bank erosion 

• Coastal Virginia has highest rate of relative sea-level rise on Atlantic coast: more than 14 inches since 1930

How do climate-change-induced problems impact me?

• Increased prevalence of diseases 

• Drinking water supplies threatened by salt-water intrusion 

• Displacement - loss of physical land & homes