Hickory Cluster Proposed Stream Restoration

At Saturday's Hickory Cluster Annual Meeting, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. made a presentation specific to our portion of the planned stream restoration project.

The proposed stream restoration will be paid by the Friends of Reston Fund administered by RA and thusly offers many free benefits for HC.

• Stream erosion problem will be corrected.
• Exposed sewer manhole will no longer be exposed.
• Exotic invasive plants in project area will be removed.
• Duck pond will be dredged. (Stream restoration may help restore the pond from a stagnant pool to a healthy ecosystem.)
• A new foot bridge will be built.
• New plantings of all native species will replace vegetation and trees removed. (see presentation pdf below for plant list.)

Hickory Cluster Easements Required
Two special HC easements will be needed for work to start on the restoration project. Both easements require a 60% of total residents "yes" vote.

Trees
On hand at the meeting was a 10 page handout of a draft Hickory Cluster Tree Inventory. Wetland Studies completed their tree inventory over the last few months (silver tags signify trees included in the survey.) Of the 517 trees included in the inventory, the project would require the removal of 114 most of which are sapling-small trees (97). 15 medium trees (18"-29") and two large trees (30"+). Wetlands Studies will replant trees and other vegetation with native species when work is complete.

The HC board will schedule walk-through(s) with Wetlands Studies folks for those interested in seeing what would be restored and which trees would be removed.

PDF of the Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. 5/22/10 presentation.