WILLIAMSBURG — Contractor crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation began work on a stream restoration project on the Matoaka Woods property in Williamsburg near the intersection of John Tyler Highway and Strawberry Plains Road/John Tyler Lane on Monday.
According to an announcement from the City of Williamsburg, the project, conducted in partnership with William & Mary, will provide ecological improvements to the stream, reduce sediment accumulation and nutrient flow into the James River and Chesapeake Bay, and protect public infrastructure.
Restoration activities are being implemented along approximately 1,000 feet of Strawberry Creek which has been experiencing significant erosion, according to the city. Restoration efforts will include restoring the valley to its original elevation, establishing an energy dissipation basin at the stormwater management basin’s outlet, constructing a series of log steps and shallow pools using native, onsite material along the channel, and planting native trees and plants.
The introduction of new plantings from this project will improve the existing stream gully and channel bottom that previously offered very little habitat for invertebrates and fish, it added.
This initiative is being completed through VDOT’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program. The Chesapeake Bay TMDL requires VDOT to reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from entering the bay.
The project is estimated to be complete as early as late summer 2024.
