Occoquan River
| Occoquan River Tributary to Potomac River | |
|---|---|
 Occoquan River near Fountainhead Regional Park | |
  Location of Occoquan River mouth  Occoquan River (the United States) | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Fairfax Prince William |
| Town | Occoquan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | confluence of Broad Run and Cedar Run[2] |
| • location | Brentsville, Virginia |
| • coordinates | 38°41′17″N077°29′19″W/ 38.68806°N 77.48861°W[1] |
| • elevation | 149 ft (45 m)[1] |
| Mouth | Potomac River |
• location | Belmont Bay, about 2 miles southeast ofWoodbridge, Virginia[2] |
• coordinates | 38°39′15″N077°13′34″W/ 38.65417°N 77.22611°W[1] |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m)[2] |
| Length | 26.81 mi (43.15 km)[3] |
| Basin size | 616.11 square miles (1,595.7 km2)[4] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Potomac River |
| • average | 775.94 cu ft/s (21.972 m3/s) at mouth withPotomac River[4] |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | northeast then southeast[3] |
| River system | Potomac River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Broad Run, Piney Branch, Cabin Run, Bull Run, Wolf Run, Stillwell Run, Sandy Run, Elkhorn Run, Massey Creek |
| • right | Cedar Run, Purcell Branch, Champs Mill Branch, Crooked Creek, Airport Creek, Hooes Run |
| Waterbodies | Lake Jackson Occoquan Reservoir |
| Bridges | VA 234, VA 294, VA 663, VA 123, I-95, US 1 |
TheOccoquan Riveris a tributary of thePotomac RiverinNorthernVirginia,where it serves as part of the boundary betweenFairfaxandPrince Williamcounties. The river is a scenic area, and several local high schools and colleges use the river for the sport ofrowing.[5]
Watershed[edit]
The river is 24.7 miles (39.8 km) long,[6]and its watershed covers about 590 square miles (1,528 km2). It is formed by the confluence ofBroad RunandCedar Runin Prince William County;Bull Run,which forms Prince William County's boundary withLoudounand the northerly part of Fairfax counties, enters it east-southeast ofManassas,as the Occoquan turns to the southeast. It reaches the Potomac atBelmont Bay.The Occoquan River is part of theChesapeake Baywatershed. The nameOccoquanis derived from aDoegAlgonquianword translated as "at the end of the water".[7]
History[edit]
Geographers, foremostHarm de Blij,defined the river as the most apt border between theAmerican NorthandAmerican South.Wolf Run Shoalswas an important crossing point on the Occoquan betweenAlexandriaandRichmondduring the 18th and 19th centuries. It consisted of three islands and a mill, now submerged under the Occoquan due to higher water levels following damming for flood control, water supply, and power generation.[8]
Between c. 1900 and 1976, the Occoquan was frequently called "Occoquan Creek," but a campaign to restore its status as a river was successfully conducted by Rosemary Selecman.[9]
Dams[edit]
The Occoquan has threedamsalong its length. The first is at the town ofOccoquan,areservoirbelonging to theFairfax County Water Authority,which serves as a source of drinking water for parts ofFairfaxand Prince William counties. The Occoquan Reservoir stretches from Occoquan to Bull Run. Further upriver is Lake Jackson. The dam that creates Lake Jackson is atVirginia State Route 234,DumfriesRoad, and is a former hydroelectric facility. Today the dam contains the lake, but has not produced electricity in several decades. There is a third dam up Broad Run from its confluence with Cedar Run; this dam formsLake Manassas,which is the primary water supply for the city ofManassas.
Parks[edit]
Sandy Run Regional Park is atFairfax Stationand consists of the northeastern arm of the Occoquan Reservoir. The park is used exclusively for the education, practice, and competition of rowing. The high schools who use this park for rowing are members of theVirginia Scholastic Rowing Association(VASRA). The member schools which call this park their home areRobinson Secondary School,W. T. Woodson High School,Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology,James Madison High School,Fairfax High School,Oakton High School,West Springfield High School,Langley High School,Justice High School,andSouth County Secondary School.
Fountainhead Regional Parkis also in Fairfax Station, further upriver from Sandy Run Regional Park, past Bull Run.Lake Braddock Secondary SchoolandWestfield High School,also VASRA members, use the park for rowing.
The Occoquan River is bordered by three parks administered by theNorthern Virginia Regional Park Authority.The three parks are Bull Run, Occoquan, and Fountainhead. In addition to horse riding, trailing cycling, fishing and boating access, the Bull Run to Occoquan trail travels through all three parks from the beginning of the river to its end. The Oxford Boathouse hostsHylton High School,Potomac High School,Gar-Field High School,Forest Park High School,Woodbridge High School,and Colgan High school.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abc"Occoquan River".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.RetrievedMay 2,2024.
- ^abc"Map Viewer".arcgis.US Geological Survey.RetrievedMay 2,2024.
- ^ab"ArcGIS Web Application".epa.maps.arcgis.US EPA.RetrievedMay 2,2024.
- ^ab"Occoquan River Watershed Report".watersgeo.epa.gov.US EPA.RetrievedMay 2,2024.
- ^"Sandy Run Regional Park".NOVA Parks.Retrieved2023-06-13.
- ^U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.The National Map,accessed August 15, 2011
- ^"History of the Occoquan".Friends of the Occoquan.Retrieved2008-11-08.
- ^"Wolf Run Shoals".9 August 2009.Retrieved2019-07-14.
- ^"Lorton History - One Woman's Campaign".19 January 2011.
- ADC Street Map Book of Prince William County, Virginia, 28th Edition, 2003
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory
- Northern Virginia Regional Commission
External links[edit]
- Friends of the Occoquan
- Occoquan River Maritime Association (ORMA)
- Occoquan Watershed Coalition
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory (OWML)
- Northern Virginia Regional Commission: Occoquan Basin Nonpoint Pollution Management Program
- The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club - Bull Run/Occoquan Trail
- A Blog about living and boating on the Occoquan River, includes a map of marinas
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