Measuring Bank Erosion along Accotink Creek

Accotink Creek is an urban stream in Fairfax County, Virginia. Like many urban streams, its banks are heavily eroded, and that eroded sediment is transported downstream. This impacts downstream water quality and contributes to lake sedimentation in Lake Accotink.

USGS scientists are studying changes in the channel shape of Accotink Creek and identifying which regions of the stream are eroding and which regions may be trapping sediment.