Occoquan Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Occoquan Reservoir |
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 Occoquan Reservoir
Location in Virginia
Occoquan Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | Fairfax County and Prince William County, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 38°41′39″N 77°16′35″W / 38.69417°N 77.27639°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Surface area | 2,100-acre (850 ha) |
The Occoquan Reservoir is a large lake in northern Virginia. It covers about 2,100-acre (850 ha). This reservoir is southwest of Washington, D.C.. It sits between Fairfax County and Prince William County. The Occoquan Dam on the Occoquan River created this reservoir.
The Fairfax County Water Authority manages the reservoir. It provides important drinking water to many towns in northern Virginia. About 1.2 million people get their water from here. This includes more than half of the people in Prince William County. The reservoir supplies about 17 million US gallons of water each day. Even though it is on the border, the Occoquan Reservoir is officially part of Prince William County. Two main streams flow into the reservoir: Bull Run and Occoquan Creek.
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Water Quality Challenges
The Occoquan Reservoir is a major source of fresh water. However, it has faced some water quality problems. It has been listed on Virginia's "Dirty Water List." This means that the water has higher levels of certain things than it should.
Understanding Water Quality Issues
Scientists have found high levels of phosphorus in the water. They also found high turbidity, which means the water is cloudy. The water sometimes has low levels of dissolved oxygen. There has also been copper sulfate found. More recently, small amounts of medicines have been detected. These problems are mostly due to how people use the land around the reservoir. A growing population and past management issues have also played a role.
Efforts to Improve Water Quality
In 1968, the Virginia State Water Control Board (SWCB) started a study. They wanted to create a plan to manage the reservoir in a way that would keep it healthy. A study in 1970 showed that the reservoir was "highly eutrophic." This means it had too many nutrients, which can cause too much plant growth. The study also said that wastewater from treatment plants was a main cause of this problem. Because of these findings, a new plan was approved in 1971. This plan was called "A Policy for Waste Treatment and Water Quality Management in the Occoquan Watershed." It aimed to improve the water quality.
Fun Activities at the Reservoir
You can easily reach the Occoquan Reservoir by Interstate 95. People have been coming here to fish since 1961. Even with some water quality issues, many types of fish live here. You can find Largemouth bass, bluegill, black and white crappie, and channel catfish. Other fish include flathead catfish, northern pike, and white perch.
Boating and Rowing
The Occoquan Boat Club (OBC) is a big boating club on the reservoir. Rick Evans started the club in 1979. The OBC organizes rowing activities and sponsors crew races. They also send teams to competitions called regattas. The club helps promote rowing in Northern Virginia. The OBC has 180 members and owns over 19 rowing boats. These boats are easy to spot with their red and black stripes on the front. The club offers different types of rowing sessions. These include singles (one person), doubles (two people), sweep fours (four people with one oar each), and sculling quads (four people with two oars each).
