Submitted News
On Saturday, April 13th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain date is April 20, 2013), several local non-profit groups and agencies are teaming up to sponsor a clean-up of the upper Occoquan River, from Cedar Run/Broad Run to Lake Jackson then from below Lake Jackson Dam to Lake Ridge Marina and Hooes Run. We anticipate accessing the river and reservoir at multiple sites again this year. They are looking for your help.
The Clean-up of the Occoquan River will be part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation 25th Potomac River Watershed Clean-up Day. 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, and Canon Bluff HOAs, the Lake Ridge Marina and Hooes Run. These take-out and put-in points for canoeists and kayakers are also gathered trash drop-off points. Prince William County Parks and Recreation will provide canoe/kayak trailer shuttle service back to participants’ put-in point.
Canoeists and kayakers are requested to register for this event by going to the PWTSC website. 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[at}pwtsc.org. Carpooling is encouraged. Directions to various locations can be found on the PWTSC Web Site.
The Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition, Prince William County Parks and Recreation, Public Works, the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District, the Occoquan Watertrail League (OWL), several bordering Homeowners Associations, Neabsco Action Alliance, Keep Prince William Beautiful, REI, Prince William Izaak Walton League, Bradley Forest Recreation Association, and Lake Jackson Citizens Association are working together on this exciting conservation project.
