Land Use, the Occoquan Reservoir Watershed and You

"The streams in the downzoned area are amongst the most pristine highest quality in [Fairfax] county. So it is a protection strategy.” -- Greg Prelowicz, Fairfax Water

Prelowicz was referring to the 41,000 acres within the Occoquan watershed that were downzoned in 1982 to 1 house per 5 acres in Fairfax. 

As part of a series on Source Water protection, we were joined on Monday, September 13th, by Greg Prelewicz, Planning Dept. Manager, and Nicki Bellezza, Watershed Protection Specialist from Fairfax Water.

Join us next week for an in-depth look at how development within the Occoquan Watershed affects the water quality, aesthetics, recreational uses, and ecological balance of the Occoquan Reservoir and the streams that drain to it. Register here!

Even with the high level of treatment from the Griffith Water Treatment Plant, source water protection is critical to providing us clean drinking water.

Land use impacts the quality of our streams and thus quality of the water in the Occoquan reservoir - a major drinking water source for the region. Changes to as little as 2% of the watershed area can affect water quality. "Plant trees!" exclaimed Nicki when discussing strategies we can all do, "Trees are our friend"

Adil Godrej, co-director of the Occoquan Monitoring Lab, observed from the water quality data that "in general we find that concentration of pollutants is far lower in the southern part of the watershed, which is mainly still forested." The data are clear, land use and water quality in our streams are intrinsically linked.

[Source PWCA]

Strategies that address non-point pollution sources include (but not limited to) policies and management strategies that 1.) protect existing trees and natural vegetation 2.) minimize impervious surfaces 3.) slow down and treat stormwater before entering our streams. 

For the full presentation, check out our YouTube video. Like and subscribe to help us reach more people about this important issue.