Pleasure and commercial watercraft using the Occoquan River this coming spring will no longer have to worry about being sent aground by a shallow channel. Instead, the river will be three feet deeper and 50 feet wider.
That will be the result of an agreement signed last Friday between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the counties of Fairfax and Prince William in Occoquan. Known as the Occoquan Dredging Project, the nearly $5 million contract can now go to bid.
"We are actually still advertising the project but we hope to go to bid no later than the end of November. If all goes well, the project should be completed by mid-February of 2005," Col. Robert Davis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said. "Based on our studies, we have a window that will have the least environmental impact."
The project will increase the depth of the channel from its present six feet to nine feet as well as widening it from 150 feet to 200 feet, according to Steve Garbarino, the Corps project manager. "Over the past 30 years the river has become more commercial and that has caused a build up in the basin," Garbarino said.
ON HAND for the signing ceremony was U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis, III, (R-11) who was instrumental in securing an amendment to the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1890 allowing for a deeper and wider channel. He also secured $4.7 million in direct federal funding over the past three years to ensure the project would be completed as soon as possible, according to his office.
"This project is a perfect example of grassroots activists getting things done. Those who serve in local government are very professional. They get part-time pay for full-time service," Davis told the crowd assembled on the deck of Sea & Sea restaurant in Occoquan.
Also attending the ceremony were Gerald Hyland, Mount Vernon District supervisor, representing Fairfax County; Hilda Barg, Woodlawn District supervisor, representing Prince William County; Patricia Conway, Occoquan mayor; James O'Connor, Occoquan vice mayor; Corry A. Stewart, Occoquan District supervisor, Prince William County; several members of the Occoquan Town Council; and John Paul Woodley, Jr, assistant secretary of the Army, Civil Works.
"WE EXPECT this project to have a very positive economic impact on this community, and we are very grateful for the local initiative and support. The Corps can not undertake any project without local sponsorship," Woodley said. He projected a positive rate of return for the project at $4 for every $1 invested.
Speaking on behalf of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Hyland said, "This is a very important project that impacts all of us. And, it is a good example of how Tom (Davis) has been a friend of local government throughout his career."
"This is the beginning of the Occoquan River renaissance. This river has always been the jewel of this district. It is a good example of how local, county and federal government can all work together," said Barg of the Prince William Board of Supervisors.
Funding for the project is based on a 80 percent federal and 20 percent local formula. The non-federal sponsors, local and county government, pay their 20 percent share in two increments: 10 percent at the outset and another 10 percent over 30 years, according to Garbarino. The two non-federal sponsors in this case are Fairfax and Prince William counties.
"This will return Occoquan to its status as a boating center as originally planned," Conway said. "I can't say enough for Congressman Davis in concentrating on local needs in this time of national concern. He has given us his watchful eye."
Occoquan River, from its mouth at the Potomac River to the fall line above the Town of Occoquan, is a U.S. Coast Guard designated channel that supports a large amount of river traffic, ranging from commercial barges to more than 1,500 recreational boats berthed at the river's three major marinas.
Over the past several years, there have been increased groundings in the channel. Potomac River Rescue has documented an escalating number of serious boating accidents directly attributable to the decreasing channel depth, according to reports. This have been compounded by increased shoaling reducing the channel's width.
In addition to revitalizing the Occoquan riverfront, the dredging project will enable the Virginia Department of Transportation to use the river to transport heavy equipment and materials during construction of a replacement bridge on Route 123. This is seen as a way to lessen the flow of truck traffic associated with the bridge project.