The Greenway actively pursues strategies to prevent Environmental problems

Protecting the Environment

Toll Road Investors Partnership II, L.P. (TRIP II), the operator of the Dulles Greenway, is keenly aware of its environmental responsibilities. TRIP II has focused on identifying & actively pursuing strategies to prevent any negative environmental impact…throughout the design, construction, and on-going operations of the Greenway.

Protection of Goose Creek

An example of this is the protection of Goose Creek. The main issue of concern surrounding Goose Creek is erosion & sediment control. TRIP II has implemented diversion dikes, silt fences, sediment traps, and vegetative soil stabilization to reduce the possibility of major sediment problems. These mitigating steps cost $1.5 million more than expected.

Doubling of Wetlands

While the Greenway’s construction resulted in the loss of roughly 64 acres of federally protected wetlands, under an Army Corp of Engineers 404 permit, TRIP II mitigated that loss by establishing 149 acres of new wetlands. This mitigation represents a 2:1 replacement ratio for forested wetlands, and a 1.5:1 replacement ratio for emergent wetlands.

Vibrant Wildlife

In recent years, local conservancy groups have been monitoring the Greenway Wetlands for all kinds of wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and amphibians. The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy conducted a comprehensive countywide bird atlas survey from 2009-2014 and, in 2019, published the Birds of Loudoun: A Guide Based on the 2009-2014 Loudoun County Bird Atlas. Through their visits and the atlas, 206 species of birds have been documented at the Greenway Wetlands, including Great Blue Herons, American Egrets, Green Herons, Mallards, Black Ducks, Green-winged Teals, Red-tailed Hawks, Wilson’s Snipe, sandpipers, nesting Bald Eagles, and numerous species that are rare to Loudoun County.  Many of the rare species recorded were found almost exclusively at the wetlands. The site also hosts a variety of other wildlife including Red Foxes, Deer, Beaver, River Otters, Painted Turtles, Snapping Turtles, and Box Turtles.

Greenway Wetlands Walks

While the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project is generally closed to the public, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has permission to occasionally lead walks there. Loudoun Wildlife visits to the wetlands often occur during bird migration, the Christmas Bird Count, and various other times throughout the year. Please check out the schedule on their website (www.loudounwildlife.org) for upcoming bird walks there and elsewhere in the county. In addition to the many other free activities. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s mission is to protect, preserve, and restore wildlife habitat, shaping a Loudoun where people and wildlife thrive together. 

The 2025 Loudoun Wildlife Christmas Bird Count team observed 43 species at the wetlands. Highlights of the visit were Northern Pintail, 85 Green-winged Teal, 16 Eastern Bluebirds, a Hermit Thrush, four Swamp Sparrows, six of the seven resident woodpeckers, and a variety of raptors including, Red-shouldered Hawks, Red-tailed Hawk, and two Bald Eagles.