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Courtesy of The Washington Post, January 30, 2003
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
A Reservoir of Facts and Figures
• A watershed is an area of land that catches rain and snow and drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater. The Occoquan watershed is 590 acres, encompassing parts of Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties. About 17 percent of the watershed is in Fairfax.
• A Native American name meaning "end of water," the Occoquan watershed drains into the Occoquan River, a tributary of the Potomac River.
• The Occoquan Reservoir, the largest body of water in the watershed, contributes to the drinking water supply for 1.2 million Northern Virginians. It was created in 1950, when a dam was built on the Occoquan River. A larger dam was built in 1957 to supply the water needs of a growing population.
• By trapping sediments and nutrients, the reservoir protects the water quality of the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay. The reservoir also provides an aquatic and wildlife habitat and a place for recreation.
Source: New Millennium Occoquan Watershed Task Force, 2003.