Working With Residents To Protect And Improve Our Quality Of Life
MIDCO is a citizens group whose goal is to assist residents in assessing and affecting issues that impact our community. We strive to provide transparency on all issues so the community can make decisions based on the facts. We have worked on various issues since 2005 from land use to historical record to community services. We are independent, non-profit and unaffiliated with any political party or political organization. We always welcome and encourage public participation and urge mid-county residents to join us. Our area of influence includes the Coles and western Occoquan magisterial districts and is roughly defined by, but not limited to, the area between Hoadly Road and Liberia Avenue and between Route 234 and the Occoquan reservoir.
We will try to cut through the hype and hyperbole and gather factual information to keep residents informed on issues that could affect them.
MIDCO will also advocate on behalf of residents in situations where we feel it's warranted.
We are interested in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in our area. MIDCO is open to all Prince William County residents and homeowners associations. Join us and help shape our future.
With your help, we can truly make a difference!
Our regular meetings are on the third Thursday of the month.
Occoquan Reservoir- Rare Jem or Lost Opportunity?
It may seem to most folks, if they think about it at all, that the Occoquan Reservoir is doing fine. It is true that major improvements were made in the 1970’s when Fairfax County down-zoned hundreds of acres on the north side of the reservoir and the UOSA sewage treatment plant replaced the numerous polluting plants then in existence on the reservoir.
So why should we spend more effort (and money) to further improve the water quality of a reservoir that’s doing ok? Because ok is not good enough- the reservoir’s health is still far from what it could be, and what it once was. Sedimentation input results in knee-deep mud along the bottom of the reservoir that reduces water capacity and aquatic diversity, the clarity of the water is poor, aquatic grasses grow unchecked that inhibit fish stocks and diversity, and on and on.
The reality is that more work still needs to be done. The challenges are somewhat different now, but they still need to be addressed, now more than ever. The reservoir is impacted by sediment runoff from new development and stormwater runoff problems. Chemical pollution from treatment processes and pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, hormones and steroids flow from the sewage treatment plant into the reservoir. Nutrient pollution from improper lawn and garden treatment remains an issue. The list is long.
The Occoquan Reservoir is a rare gem in our increasingly developed area. It is already an irreplaceable drinking water source for more than one million people. It can be an oasis from the cement and asphalt world that many of our children endure. It can be a green space that binds a community together, like Central Park in New York. It can be a place to swim, fish, enjoy clear water, beautiful rock formations, birds such as Herons and Eagles, and naturally diversified wildlife in the water, air and on land. We can do better and if we do, the Occoquan Reservoir area will be an economic and environmental boon for the county.
The Occoquan Overlay District now under consideration by the county is an excellent tool to start to achieve this goal. The intent of this overlay district is to increase protection for the Occoquan Reservoir and its tributaries by promoting new and existing processes that minimize point and nonpoint source pollution and by minimizing housing density in sensitive areas. You can read more about the Overlay District as it progresses at: midcopw.net and pwconserve.org.
