Clean Waterways in Prince William County

Watershed Newsletter -September 2019 - www.pwswcd.org

Congratulations to all the NOVA newly Certified Water Quality Monitors

" Water quality awareness for sustainable water quality in Northern Virginia"

Some Northern Virginia residents gained training and certification under the annual water quality monitoring cooperative training organized by Northern Virginia and Prince William Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The certified monitors will now adopt sites of interest in the community where they will monitor and share the data with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Thanks to the support of Virginia Save Our Streams (VASOS) under Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA), Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Council.

Special thanks to the Manassas Battlefield National Park Service (NPS) Authority for supporting this great event.

New! Chemical Water Quality Monitoring in PWC under DEQ's Supervision

Sustainable drinking water is a global issue. Virginia is facing challenges that my impact the future its future generation.

Have you ever thought of having an impact on water quality awareness in our local streams?

Has the identification of organisms in the biological monitoring of streams been your challenge?

Join this new team of volunteers to collect only chemical data from local streams in Prince William County under the District's water quality program. Volunteers will have special training from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on collection and data reading techniques.

Monitoring sites will be very accessible for quick data collection (vehicles).

To be part of this new monitoring team and training,

please contact: [email protected].

Some Upcoming Events

September 14 - Monitoring of Dewey's Creek Dumfries - American Nepal Society

September 16 & 17 Water Quality Education and Monitoring with NOVA Community Students- Manassas Campus

September 26 - Water Quality Monitoring Prince William Forest Park with NOVA Community Students- Woodbridge Campus.

September 28 - National Trails Day at Doves Landing Park

Oct. 15, 16, 17 – Farm Field Days

October 5 - Neabsco Creek Boardwalk Cleanup by REI Woodbridge Outlet and team

October 5 - Water Quality Monitoring at Powells Creek

October 5 – Friends of Occoquan Cleanup- Occoquan River

October 5 - Belmont Bay Cleanup with Belmont Bay Paddlers

October 12 - PWC Recycles Day

October 19 - Virginia Citizens for Water Quality Summit -Ashland

October 19 - Paddle Prince William County-

October 30, 31 , - MWEEs - Volunteers needed!

November. 16 -Costco Manassas Cleanup; Bull Run Water Project Phase 5

November 1, 19, 20, 21 - MWEEs - Volunteers needed!

Water Quality Program Events

Saturday, September 14

Stream Monitoring: Deweys Creek , Dumfries

Time: 10 -12 noon.

Parking location: Near 17119 Wayside Drive in Dumfries

Join the American Nepalese Society for monitoring at this adopted site. For more information contact: [email protected]

Thursday, September 26

Stream Monitoring: Prince William Forest Park/ Quantico Creek

Time: 10 a.m. - 12.30 pm

Location: 18100 Park Headquarters Road, Triangle, VA 22172 (GPS guide)

Parking: Parking Lot A on Scenic Drive. (From Main Park Entrance, turn left onto Scenic Drive and go all the way until you cross the Scenic Bridge).

Prince William Forest Park protects a large portion of the Quantico Creek; a watershed which scientists use as the water quality benchmark in Prince William County.

Join Larry Heath and Professor Meyering of Virginia Community College, Woodbridge campus to learn more about water quality for more awareness.

RVSP to Larry at [email protected]

Saturday, October 5

Water Quality Monitoring - Powells Creek, Woodbridge

Ti me: 10 am- 12.30 pm

Parking location: Along 15601 Northgate Dr. Montclair, VA 22025

Join Buck Arvin and the Merrimac Master Naturalist Team in monitoring the Powell’s Creek in the Montclair area. Residents are welcome to come support the data collection of this stream and learn more about the water quality in their local stream.

For directions RSVP to Buck Arvin at [email protected]

Saturday, October 5

Belmont Bay Cleanup, Woodbridge

Time: 9am - noon

Location: Belmont Bay Marina

Join the Belmont Bay Community for the fall cleanup.

Volunteers will be out both on-land and on-water for a Big Belmont Bay Community cleanup. Organized by the Belmont Bay Paddlers. This cleanup will stretch from the Route 1; Occoquan Bridge towards the Bay.

Volunteers are welcome.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Myra Lau at [email protected].

Saturday, October 5

Occoquan River Cleanup by Friends of Occoquan

T ime: 9am - noon

Location: 5 Cleanup sites along the Fairfax and Prince William banks of the river.

Join the Friends of the Occoquan for their annual cleanup along the river! Cleanup the banks or - if you have a canoe or kayak - head into the water to get floating trash. Refreshments will be provided to all volunteers. A list of sites can be found on www.friendsoftheoccoquan.org

You can make a difference! Help preserve one of our region’s most important natural resources: The Occoquan River! The trash problem is a serious one and we need your help!

Rain or Shine! Refreshments will be provided.Please contact FOTO at 703-624-7124 if you can help us out!**Bring refillable water bottles for water drinking purposes.

Saturday, October 5

Neabsco Boardwalk area cleanup by REI Woodbridge Outlet and team

T ime: 8.30 am - noon

Location: Neabsco Boardwalk Park, Woodbridge

Registration is opening soon!

Sunday, October 6

Stream Monitoring: Airport Creek in Lake Ridge, Occoquan Watershed

Time: 11 a.m. - 1.30 pm

Location: Near Salemtown Dr. Woodbridge Virginia 22192

Parking Location: parking is just past Mojave Lane on Springwoods Drive (look for the Water Quality Event sign).

Join Janis Cook at this adopted site in the Lake Ridge area for water quality monitoring experience.

For more information and RSVP, please contact Janis Cook: [email protected]

Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences MWEEs

Volunteers needed!

October 30, 31 , and November 1

November 19, 20, 21

For more information please contact the District's MWEEs Coordinator: [email protected]

To register, please visit: https://vcwq.wordpress.com/

JOB OPENING -

Part Time Water Quality Monitoring Assistant

The Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District is accepting applications for a part-time Water Quality Monitoring Assistant. The Water Quality Monitoring Assistant assists the Water Quality Coordinator with the administration and delivery of District water quality programs. These programs include water quality monitoring, floatables monitoring, and the Adopt A Stream/Pond program. Work is both in the office and in the field. The employee will be supervised by the Water Quality Coordinator. This is a 20-25 hour/week position. Pay will be based on skills and experience. Flexible weekday hours. Some evening or weekend hours required.

For more information on the position
For the Position Description
For more information on the District's water quality programs
For a state application

Visit our website : www.pwswcd.org

Submit a completed Virginia state employment application and resume to: Prince William SWCD, 8850 Rixlew Ln. Manassas, VA 20109 or email to [email protected] , (571) 379-7514. Application deadline is September 13, 2019 .

Other Watershed Events in PWC

National Public Lands Day- Doves Landing Park.

Saturday, September 28

Location: 9305 Doves Lane, Manassas, VA 20112.

Come improve the trail network at Doves Landing Park. Come out and help with finishing a new trail segment and other maintenance projects in this beautiful County Park.

Please when you register, up will be updated schedule and in case of bad weather

To register visit; https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrLbFGyYBWIeZCxdJYpobLmBlqJ41pa6BPKMoQSkhrOflqvQ/viewform

Contact (email): [email protected]

Prince William Recycles Day Over 20 years hosting!

Saturday, Oct. 13

Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Location: Prince William County's Landfill on Dumfries Road

County residents and families are encouraged to come learn how they can support waste reduction, save landfill space and find out what’s new about recycling.

“Managing our waste is something most people probably don’t think much about, but it is a very important part of taking care of our environment and sustaining healthy communities,” says Deborah Campbell,

For more about this event please visit:

https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/landfill-to-host-prince-william-recycles-day-saturday/article_ac068576-ccef-11e8-8599-8b96f09d88d1.html#targetText=For%20more%20than%2020%20years,2%20p.m.%20Admission%20is%20free.

Paddling trip on Bull Run – Oct 19

October 19 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Come enjoy NOVA beautiful waterways!

Bring your boat for a canoeing and kayaking trip on Bull Run

Start point; Stone Bridge parking lot in Manassas National Battlefield Park, off of Lee Highway (Rt 29).

Exit point: Bull Run-Occoquan Trail parking area at Rt 28, on the Fairfax County side of Bull Run.

Distance is about 5.75 miles, and the paddling trip about three hours. Current present at this part of Bull Run but watch for a shallow area where, depending on water level, you may scrape the bottom of your boat or even have to get out and pull the boat a short distance.

This event is free. To register visit; www.pwtsc.org or https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5Cbq85VJnveT6ASLjY0xqlLP03kLFrSe9CYowXR2aNeB6PA/viewform

Contact [email protected] for any questions.

Water Quality Monitoring Program

Sonnie Coffey and Team - Broad Run
Jess Cushman, Buck Arvin and Merrimac Master Naturalists Team - Ben Lomond Park
Nancy Berlin and Team - Little Bull Run Catharpin
Diane Behm - Water Quality Monitoring Adoption site Cannon Branch

Adopt-A-Stream/ Adopt- A-Pond Program

Fox Family - Occoquan Watershed Lake Ridge ( Adopt-A- Stream)
“ I might go the beach” Nick Jackson- Neabsco Creek ( Adopt-A-Stream)
Freedom High School's CENS Society (Adopt-A-Pond)

Thanks again for making a difference!

Prince William Soil & Water Conservation District is funded by Prince William County Public Works Department, Stormwater Management Branch, and through financial and administrative assistance provided by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Soil and Water Conservation.

Programs, activities and employment opportunities are available to all people regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or political affiliation. Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

PWSWCD, 8850 Rixlew Lane , Manassas, VA 20109, Ph.: 571-379-7514 ,Fax: 571-379-8305