That Giant Sucking Sound: Lake Anne Drained Out (Slightly)

If you've noticed a couple of people in day-glo wetsuits scrambling around Lake Anne this week, don't worry -- it's not a dress rehearsal for Cirque du Soleil Meets The Navy Seals. The Reston Association is conducting repairs on the "concrete spillway riser," that big floating thing near Wiehle Avenue, and to do that, they had to lower the lake's water level by several feet, presumably by unplugging the big rubber stopper at the bottom of the lake.

The timing works well. Since the jet-age RELAC system has been shut off for the winter, there won't be a sound reminiscent of a toddler trying to suck up the last bit of an ice cream float with a silly straw. And if the water level doesn't rise,the lakebed could be used as satellite parking for the Wiehle Avenue Metro station, saving precious minutes for Loudoun cut-through commuters.

The RA says the work should be done by next week, and water levels should return to normal about six weeks afterwards. In the meantime, "this lower water level offers an opportunity to repair docks and bulkheads and perform shoreline maintenance," the RA helpfully points out. "Remember, any new construction, or alteration to existing structures, requires approval by the Design Review Board under our protective covenants." Happy Thanksgiving!