RUNOFF AND EROSION IN WOLF TRAP NATIONAL PARK FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts embodies an interface between forest, suburbs, and the wide and impervious Dulles Toll Road. The park contains two creeks and a network of storm drains, which were mapped as part of a hydrologic evaluation of the park in the summer of 2019. During this time the park experienced a significant flood event, which temporarily overwhelmed existing drainage and exacerbated erosion. In-person reconnaissance was combined with a HEC-HMS hydrologic model of the creeks and drainage network to identify areas of concern with regard to runoff and erosion. The results suggest that runoff from outside the park, particularly the toll road, has an outsized effect on erosion at Wolf Trap, but it is not the sole cause. Several areas are identified where improvements could be made to prevent problems from future storms.