The Rural Crescent started with different intentions; but
today the Rural Crescent is about water, groundwater and watershed
preservation. The Rural Crescent encompassing a significant portion of the
Occoquan Watershed protects the drinking water supply of the Occoquan Reservoir
and the ecology of the region. I support redevelopment of areas with
preexisting infrastructure which would allow Prince William County to improve
storm water management in the existing developed areas and reduce nutrient
contamination under the EPA mandated pollution diet (also known as the
Chesapeake Bay TMDL) as well as revitalize older areas of the county and
preserve the undeveloped areas in general support of sustainable future for
Prince William County.
The streams, rivers and groundwater in the Occoquan Watershed in Prince William County are at risk
of degradation from non-point source pollution. As demand for local lands and
resources increases and landowners seek to maximize the sale value of their land developers look to create massive industrial development in the
Rural Crescent where there is inadequate road systems, no stormwater infrastructure,
no public water supply, no available source for cooling water supply, no
sewage, etc. Large parts of the Occoquan
Watershed are currently fairly heathy after decades of investment and effort to
improve and protect the Occoquan Reservoir water quality. However, the health
of the watershed and the very sustainability and affordability of the drinking
water supply for Northern Virginia will be damaged with the continued expansion
of data centers and the proposed massive changes in land use designations in
the Rural Crescent and throughout the county.
Fairfax Water has taken the unusual step of reminding the County
of their responsibilities and recommending that: “Prince William County request
that the Occoquan Basin Policy Board convene and oversee a Comprehensive Study
of the proposed Planning initiatives – the Comprehensive Plan Update, Digital Gateway
Corridor, and the Data Center Opportunity Overlay District- to evaluate their
impact on the water quality in the Occoquan Reservoir.” This is also required
as part of the Comprehensive Plan Update under Code of Virginia § 15.2-2223 and §
15.2-2224. This has not been done.
Promoting the long-term conservation and protection of
healthy watersheds is critical to maintaining the health of the larger
ecosystem; as well as maintaining a sustainable and affordable drinking water
supply. Conserving natural resources is a far more cost-effective
strategy to achieve Chesapeake Bay water quality goals and drinking water
availability, quality and sustainability. In addition, maintaining healthy local watersheds is more
meaningful to communities since most people are more concerned about the health
of their local streams and the cost of their drinking water than the Chesapeake
Bay overall health.
Nonetheless, promoting the long-term conservation of healthy
watersheds is critical to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Healthy watersheds
store carbon, provide wildlife with clean water and habitat, and are more
resilient to the effects of invasive species and climate change. Healthy
watersheds also generate ecosystem services and social and economic benefits
that are difficult and very expensive to replicate when restoring impaired watersheds. The
maintenance of healthy watersheds is important for the ecosystems and
communities that rely on them.
When an undeveloped or generally open rural area is
developed, pollution, erosion and other urban challenges begin to affect the
health of our rivers and streams. Stormwater runoff increases in quantity and
velocity. High volumes of stormwater can wash away stream banks, cut down
hillsides and damage roads and buildings. Eroded soil washes into streams and
rivers, damaging water quality and habitat as well as reducing the capacity of the reservoir as sediment fills the bottom.
Fertilizers, chemicals, and road salt we use on landscape
and to promote winter driving safety and salt concentrations in blowdown water
from cooling towers for data centers can pollute rivers and streams and are
toxic to fish and wildlife. Culverts built when roads are paved and expanded in
some cases block fish access to habitat in other cases culverts are too small
for water to flow naturally, causing water to back up. Streams and rivers flood
regularly. Floodwaters replenished the land and soaked into the ground. Developing
the area will disconnect our streams and rivers from their natural floodplains,
which leaves water no place to go during high flows and increases storm related flooding.
Before we do irreversible harm to the ecology and our regional drinking water supply, we need to look at what the impacts of planned changes will be. The Occoquan Watershed Model was developed over decades to evaluate the impact of land use decisions and compare potential land use scenarios and their impact on the Occoquan Reservoir water quality. Prince William County helped pay for the creation of that model. Prince William County did not even consider the impact of the proposed changes to the quality, availability and sustainability of the water supply. They need to follow the recommendations of Fairfax water and do that before any of these plans and zoning changes are approved.
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