Survey work is making progress in Dyke Marsh this week, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District.
The USACE’s Baltimore District and the National Park Service (NPS), George Washington Memorial Parkway, are working on the project to restore up to 100 acres of freshwater tidal marsh within the 485-acre Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve in Fairfax County, Virginia, which is just across the Potomac River from the National Harbor.
To determine design options, the team is conducting dilatometer tests this week to measure different layers of soil and the strength of the soil for building the foundation of the breakwater in the south marsh, which is phase one of the restoration.
This project is anticipated to begin later in 2017 and the construction is scheduled to be completed in 2019.
This scheme will provide a storm buffer for the historic and scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, a natural filter to clean the Potomac River, and critical habitat for a variety of wildlife.
In 2013, Congress recognized Dyke Marsh as an invaluable resource to the District of Columbia region and allocated $24.9 million to restore the site.
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