FOTO’s Spring 2009 Clean-Up of the Occoquan Watershed
FAIRFAX & PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA: On Saturday, April 18, 2009, the Friends of the Occoquan conducted their 19th Cleanup of the Occoquan Watershed at four-park locations and the Town of Occoquan. The four park sites were the Lake Ridge Marina, Fountain Head Regional Park, Occoquan Regional Park and the Bull Run Marina.
Mother Nature cooperated with a blue sky and an abundance of sunshine. Attendance sheets placed the total count of volunteers over 240 people. Some volunteers used pontoons, Jon boats and kayaks while others combed the banks of the river picking up trash and recyclables.
Collectively, 252 large bags of trash, 18 bags of recyclables, 17 tires, six pieces of scrap iron, metal pipes, four-55 gallon barrels, plastic lawn furniture, large trash cans and various other articles including three 40 feet sections of thick tow rope were pulled from the river and properly disposed. Removing this debris is very vital to the eco-system and important to the population of Northern Virginia since the Occoquan Reservoir is a major source of our drinking water.
Several public and private organizations participated in this successful event. Special thanks go out all the volunteers including American Water, Fairfax Water, Bull Run Rotary, Lake Braddock High School and Crew Boosters, South County Secondary School, Osborne Park High School, Woodbridge High School and JROTC, George Mason University and their Environmental & Kayak Classes, Prince Willian County Public Works, Prince William Conservation Alliance, Prince William Soil & Water Conservation District, Prince William Park Authority, Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition, and Occoquan River Communities, Northern Virginia Community College and Phi Beta Kappa, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, Virginia Paving Company, the USGC Auxiliary and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. Also, FOTO would like to thank environmental conscious families, local community leaders, Supervisors Mike May, Marty Nohe and Mayor Earnie Porta.
Other partners in this event included the Occoquan Water Trail League, the Town of Occoquan and the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Lake Ridge—108 volunteers Fountainhead—44 volunteers
96 bags of trash 50 bags of trash
Tires tires
5 metal pipes tire rims
trash can plastic container
plywood plywood
plastic containers
Occoquan Regional—52 volunteers Town of Occoquan—21 volunteers
50 bags of trash 24 bags of trash
lawn furniture
trash can
2 barrels
plywood
40 ft.of marine rope
Bull Run—17 volunteers
30 bags of trash
10 tires
trash can
2 barrels
plastic containers
weed wacker
lawn furniture
car seat
plywood
an old car
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