Occoquan River Clean Up

On Saturday, April 14^th, from 9 AM to 3 PM (rain date is April 21, 2012), several local non-profit groups and agencies are teaming up to sponsor a clean-up of the Occoquan River, from below the Lake Jackson Dam to the Lake Ridge Marina, and from Occoquan Regional Park to Mason Neck State Park.  They are looking for your help!

The Clean-up of the Occoquan River will be part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation 24th Potomac River Watershed Clean-up Day (www.fergusonfoundation.org).  REI, (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) an outdoor retail co-op is assisting with promotion and individual volunteers.

We are requesting the support of experienced area Canoeists/Kayakers to participate in the gathering, and others for off-loading of collected debris.  The Lake Jackson VFD and Lake Ridge OWL VFD will provide on-water emergency support.  Participants will be provided with gloves, trash bags, bottled water and light snacks.  Toilet facilities and dumpsters will be available at each put-in/drop off site. 

PWTSC volunteers will launch canoeists/kayakers on the Prince William County side from below Lake Jackson Dam, Riverview Estates, Occoquan Forest and Canon Bluff HOAs and the Lake Ridge Marina.  These take-out and put-in points for canoeists and kayakers are also gathered trash drop-off points.   On the Prince William side, the County Park Authority will provide canoe/kayak trailer shuttle service back to participants’ put-in point.

On the Fairfax County side of the River, canoeists/kayakers can launch from the Bull Run and Fountainhead Marinas and from the Occoquan Regional Park.  Occoquan Regional Park will provide canoe/kayak trailer shuttle service from Mason Neck State Park back to Occoquan Regional Park. 

Canoeists and Kayakers are requested to register for this event by going to the PWTSC Web site at www.pwtsc.org.  Pre-registration will allow us to plan for gloves, trash bags, trailer shuttle support, water bottles, snacks and T-Shirt distribution.   For more information, call Ed Dandar, PWTSC project officer, at 703-791-6158 or blueways@pwtsc.org.  Carpooling is encouraged.  Directions to various locations can be found on the PWTSC Web Site.

The Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition (PWTSC - www.pwtsc.org), Prince William County Park Authority, Public Works, the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District, The Friends of the Occoquan (www.friendsoftheoccoquan.org), the Occoquan Watertrail League (OWL) (www.owlva.org ), Neabsco Action Alliance  (www.neabscoalliance.org) KPWB, Keep Prince William Beautiful (www.keepprincewilliambeautiful.org) and several bordering Homeowners Associations, as well as the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and Mason Neck State Park on the Fairfax County side of the River are working together on this exciting conservation project.