Years of development in Virginia’s Piedmont region have transformed the landscape with roads and other types of impervious surface. Over time that has had the effect of creating more stormwater and speeding up the velocity of area waterways.
Over the decades, the cumulative effect has resulted in streams that have eroded with scoured banks. This results in less habitat for all manner of species and worsens flooding conditions.
To help counter the effect, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation helps fund efforts to restore streambanks back to their pre-development conditions.
One such project is underway at Biscuit Run Park in Albemarle County following a master plan developed in 2022 by county staff and the firm Ecosystem Services LLC.
“Surveys of Biscuit Run’s insects and other macroinvertebrates show that the stream is officially ‘impaired’ and un-able to support a healthy aquatic community,” reads the master plan. “The restoration techniques considered in this plan aim to ‘reset’ how water flows through Biscuit Run to reduce velocities in the stream channel, reduce streambank erosion, and ultimately reduce smothering of habitat by excessive silt, sand, and clay.”
The first phase got underway in late winter. Crews began cutting down trees the week of March 10, according to the latest quarterly report from the county’s Facilities and Environmental Services.
“With just three weeks to complete the process before the northern long-eared bat restrictions resumed, time was of the essence,” reads the FES report.
Northern long-eared bats are on the federal Endangered Species Act in part resulting in protection, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry.
The fallen trees will be used to create structures that will be placed in the stream to raise the water level. That will allow floodwater to flow into the flood plain, a natural condition.
To make way for the work, some of the trails at Biscuit Run are closed until the project is complete in the spring of 2026.
In late April, the Federal Emergency Management Agency granted a conditional amendment to the floodplain map allowing work to begin in the stream itself.
“Facilities Planning and Construction (FP&C) is coordinating with Community Development to complete the remaining permit reviews to allow work to resume,” reads another section of the FES report.
The technical name for that document is a Conditional Letter of Map Revision.
Albemarle is asking for the public’s help in documenting environmental changes in the park.
“Two Chronolog stations have been installed adjacent to the project,” reads the FES report. “One is near the trail closure from Mill Creek on the north side of the stream and the other on Hickory Ridge trail on the south side.”
For more information, take a look at the county’s website for the stream restoration project.
Another project at Biscuit Run will be built as the stream restoration process winds down. Design is underway for a pedestrian Bridge to connect the park with Hickory Street in the Southwood development. The project has been allocated just over $500,000 in funding.
“FES is monitoring tariffs and the potential impacts to budget given the volatility of steel and other construction material pricing,” reads the report. “Alternate deducts and contractual risk management are being contemplated to help manage this uncertainty.”
Details of that are on page 60 of the report.
Before you go: This story was originally sent out in the May 29, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. It took a few days to post it to this site which also has the effect of showing up in the email inboxes of about a hundred people. If you’d like to support this work, take a look here to learn how!
Discover more from Information Charlottesville
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
