Neabsco Creek Trash Trap

There was be a Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, November 17th 2021 at 10 a.m. at Neabsco Eagles Park 15801 Neabsco Road; Woodbridge Virginia 22191 for the new Neabsco Creek Trash Trap that will  capture trash in the creek.

Images from PWSWCD

For the last 20 years volunteers lead and inspired by Lynda Sylvastrand have cleaned the stream and streambeds of trash that started as litter and carried along by stormwater and wind into the waterway. They also removed items that were illegally dumped or carried by off by storms year after year. This led to the Woodbridge Potomac Communities Civic Association's (WPCCA) engagement with the Adopt-A-Stream program.

Micron Technology Inc. was the major supporter to Prince William County Public Works in this project. The Woodbridge Potomac Communities Civic Association (WPCCA), Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition and all the Conservation District's Water Quality partners and volunteers for presenting convincing data in support of this project in the community.

During 2016-2017, Prince William County, Virginia, sponsored a study of the upper portion of the Neabsco Creek watershed. The Neabsco Creek Watershed Study is one in a series of watershed studies conducted by Prince William County’s Department of Public Works, Watershed Management section. The studies were intended to aid in planning watershed restoration projects to help the County address existing degradation streams and watershed resources and to make progress toward the countywide mandated (By DEQ and the EPA) pollutant reduction targets for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment under the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint (formerly known as the TMDL). Strangely enough, as they are planning restoration of Neabsco Creek they are also planning to develop the Occoquan Watershed and damage that. The Board of County Supervisors seemed to have failed to learn from the mistakes of the past.

The Neabsco Creek watershed has been highly developed for many decades.  More than half of the Neabsco Creek watershed is developed land, ranging from low-density residential to high-density commercial. Insufficient stormwater infrastructure and loss of natural land cover have damaged water quality and caused stream habitat degradation. Fortunately, we are not drinking the Neabsco Creek, but the trash and pollutants are carried through the watershed to the Chesapeake Bay.

According to the Neabsco Creek Watershed report: “Studies have shown a negative correlation between the percentage of a watershed's drainage area that is covered in impervious surfaces and the health of the watershed's streams (e.g., Giddings et al. 2009; Schueler et al. 2009).”  Surfaces impervious to rain and surface runoff like hard or paved surfaces and the roofs of buildings prevent natural infiltration of stormwater into the ground. The water instead hits the hard surface and flows faster downhill across the landscape, carrying with it any contaminants that it encounters. “The higher speed and volume of water can damage the land through erosion, especially along stream banks when the runoff finally reaches the streams. High, forceful flows in the waterways also alter stream habitat and the changes can be significant enough to cause long-term habitat destruction and poor stream health.”

The extent of development in a watershed impacts stream health. Development results in increased impervious surface area, as new roads are built to access new buildings. Urbanization and industrial development  brings a variety of pollutant sources such as oils, paints, salts, loose sediment, and other contaminants which are deposited on the impervious surfaces. Rainwater then washes these materials and other contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, fertilizers, etc) from the land into nearby streams, either directly or through the storm drain network.

Watersheds with less impervious surface are more likely to have better local stream water quality than watersheds with more impervious surface (Giddings et al. 2009; Schueler et al. 2009). Urban development brings increased impervious surface to the watershed. “Schueler, et al. (2009)provided a model based on studies linking stream condition … to the … amount of impervious cover. The researchers noted that watersheds with 10-25 % impervious cover often have negatively affected streams; typical characteristics include clear signs of degradation such as erosion, channel widening, and a decline in habitat quality. Watersheds with 25 to 60 % impervious cover generally have damaged streams; these streams exhibit fair to poor water quality, unstable channels, severe erosion, and an inability to support aquatic life and provide habitat.”

Due to concerns about flooding, the county designated Resource Protection Areas (RPAs) throughout the county to encompass and help to protect floodplains along streams. Vegetation management programs for the RPAs are intended to buffer the streams from the effects of storm runoff flows and restrict development that would eliminate the protective environment and the natural flow patterns for the streams. Ditches also appear along major roadways; these typically manage stormwater flow from the pavement, but also serve to convey the trash. Some of the lands draining to headwaters in the Neabsco Creek watershed have networks of ditches and culverts; that were installed to control floodwaters, but also carry trash and pollution to the creek. Thus, we need the trash trap.

Occoquan River Cleanup

The Girl Scouts were out to help

Spring is finally here after a long harsh winter that refused to loosen its grip on this part of Virginia until April. Saturday, a fabulously beautiful spring day, was the 5th annual Upper Occoquan River Cleanup. This massive collection of trash from the Occoquan River happens every year and on this side of the river is the combined effort of the Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition, Trash Free Potomac Watershed, Penguin Paddling, Prince William County Parks and Recreation Department and the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District (where I volunteer as a director.)

I spent the day at Riverview Estates where volunteers walked along the banks of the river collecting trash and the vast majority of volunteers were on the water in canoes, kayaks and platoon boats collecting floating trash. There were several locations along the Occoquan to put in and drop trash. We were one of the trash collection stations and the a lunch station for the hard working and happy volunteers.

The Occoquan River Cleanup is part of the Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup coordinated by the Alice Ferguson Foundation working with the region’s soil and water conservation districts, community groups, employers, and schools happens this time of year. The Potomac River Watershed Cleanup is the largest regional event of its kind and happens over several weekends so that you or your group can still participate this year. It is a great single day volunteer opportunity.

Over the next several weeks there will be a series of neighborhood events that are an opportunity to spend a few hours outside with others cleaning up the trash from our water ways and road ways, planting trees and nature walks in our many regional parks to appreciate the trees. Year after year volunteers clean our roadways, streams, rivers, and streambeds of trash that started as litter and carried along by stormwater and wind into our waterways and parks. We also remove items that were illegally dumped in the woods or carried by off by storms. Don’t litter and teach your children not to litter, that is the best way to prevent trash along our roads, streams and waterways. The trash does not magically disappear, but finds its way carried by stormwater to our waterways and parklands disrupting the natural water flow and beauty of our natural world.