The Ahn Wetland Ecosystem Laboratory

North Fork Mitigation Bank

The North Fork Mitigation Wetland Bank is located in the Prince William County, Virginia. Created in 1999 and 2000 from pastureland, this wetland mitigation bank includes 7 acres of open water, 76 acres of wetlands and 42 acres of upland buffer. The vegetation includes a diverse mixture of wetland herb, shrub, and tree communities such as Carex, Juncus, Scirpus, and sycamore. In addition, it includes submerged and floating vegetation, and upland forested buffers. A 1600-foot long and 25-foot high dam and a concrete outfall structure are built to hold back and control the water from North Fork Broad Run stream. The outfall structure contains a movable iron riser board that can manipulate the water levels of the wetland.  Designed to include a “Main Pod”, overbank flow area, four tiers, and vernal pools, this perched wetland is mainly dependent on Broad Run stream, precipitation, and surface runoff for its input hydrology. There is no groundwater flow because the wetland is underlain by an impervious clay liner. Drainage received by four tiers from the preserved forest wetlands to the north and drainage from overflow area directly enters the Main Pod as surface flow input. Vernal pools located at the southwest corner of the wetlands are isolated and do not interact with the Main Pod hydrologically.

Bull Run

The Bull Run Mitigation wetland is located in a Prince William County, Virginia in the floodplain of Bull Run creek, which fringes along the eastern and southern edge of the wetland. Created in 2002, it covers an area of 48.89 acres. This wetland is subject to floods from the Bull Run at high water level events at the southeastern corner. Also, there are five inlet structures in the northeastern corner that act as a conduit for water at high water level conditions. As such, hydrology is driven by Bull Run along with precipitation and surface run off. The vegetation includes a mixture of species including Juncus, Carex, Scirpus, and sycamore.

Loudoun County Mitigation Bank

Loudoun County Mitigation Bank is located in Loudoun County, Virginia within a 35-acre wetlands bank easement.  This site, which is comprised of three cells encompasses 9.5 acres of palustrine-forested wetlands, 4 acres of enhanced and preserved existing wetlands, 11 acres of reforested uplands, and 7.5 acres of preserved existing forest. Adjacent cells 1 and 2 are separated by a berm, whereas cell 3 is located approximately 100 m south from cell 1.  The plots established by the Ahn Wetland Ecosystem Laboratory for a long-term created wetland ecosystem study are located in cells 1 and 2 only. The LCMB is located the floodplain of Goose Creek and Big Branch, a tributary of Goose Creek.  The construction of the LCMB, which involved grading and disking using heavy machineryes, was started in July and completed in August 2006. Hydro seeding of hydrophytic plants seed-mix within the wetlands and planting of woody vegetation within the wetlands and upland buffers were completed during August and December 2006, respectively.  The hydrology is mainly driven by precipitation and surface runoff.

Alrlie

Emington, IL

Battlefield Park

The Battlefield Park reference site is located within the Manassas Battlefield in the Prince William County, Virginia on the floodplain of Bull Run. This is a natural wetland composed of adjacent emergent marsh and a forested wetland. The species composition of marsh includes Carex, Scirpus, Juncus; the species composition of forested wetland includes Red maple, Sycamore, and Oaks.  The hydrology is mainly dependent on occasional flooding from Bull Run, precipitation, and surface runoff. The forested wetland is chosen as a reference site assuming all created wetlands are designed to develop into such wetlands.

Banshee Reeks Nature Reserve

21085 The Woods Road
Leesburg, VA 20175
703-737-7843
Open 8:00A - 4:00P
3rd Saturday and Sunday Each Month

Huntley Meadow

Mason Neck

Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge (MN), established by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1969, is a peninsula encompassing 2,277 acres of mature hardwood forest along the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Virginia (38°38'27.22"N, 77°16'0.05"W) and is a designated Ramsar site.