WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Environmentalists and residents in flood-ravaged southern Fairfax County communities have begun to raise new concerns over the details of popular but uncertain flood protections.

The neighborhoods of Belle View and New Alexandria were inundated during Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and in March learned that the area meets the federal criteria for $12.7 million worth of protections, including a lengthy flood wall that would run parallel to the George Washington Parkway. The communities were largely pleased with the news.

But the details could be another story. The Friends of Dyke Marsh, a group dedicated to protecting the nearby marshland, wants wetlands restoration included in the anti-flood measures. At the same time, some residents in the adjacent condominiums at River Towers, which was not substantially damaged by Isabel, question why a proposed earthen barrier, or “berm,” should cut across the property and obstruct their view of the marsh.

“There is overwhelming support for the idea of building a flood control project,” said John Giglio of the Belle View Area Coalition. “And really, the issues are just exactly what it’s going to look like, exactly how much it’s going to cost, exactly where it’s going to be.”

Planning for the flood wall and other measures is in early stages, and no details have been finalized. Fairfax County stormwater officials expect to conduct a $800,000 to $1 million study this year, paid through a $22 million fund set up for such projects, according to Stormwater Director Randy Bartlett.

The top options presented by the Army Corps of Engineers that meet the agency’s cost-benefit threshold, call for an earthen berm running between Dyke Marsh and the River Towers property with the flood wall and do not include any wetlands restoration.

The towers’ condominium association has not taken an official position on the matter, said association President Jim Shanahan, but “at first blush it appears there would be some negative consequences” in adopting the Corps’ top recommendations.

In a Thursday letter to local, state and federal officials, the Friends of Dyke Marsh argued that restoring the wetlands would help absorb flood waters and should be part of the flood control strategy. Much of the marsh has been destroyed by dredging.

wflook@dcexaminer.com