http://occoquanwaterfront.com

Mayor Earnie Porta has written a 128-page book about the history of Occoquan. The book is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. On the book’s formal release date, November 22, the Prince William Public Library Foundation, Occoquan River Communities (ORC), and the Occoquan Historical Society (OHS), will host a book signing and launch party fundraiser at Madigan’s Waterfront Restaurant from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

All net proceeds from the event, including royalties on books sold, will go to benefit the Library Foundation, ORC, and OHS.

Here is the description from Amazon:

Although Native Americans have lived along the banks of the Occoquan for thousands of years, John Smithwas the first European to visit the area, arriving at the river’s mouth in 1608. Here he encountered the Dogue Indians, from whose language the river and town take their names. With the coming of settlers, Occoquan’s location at the meeting of the Tidewater and Piedmont made it ideal for water-related industry and commerce. By the end of the 18th century, it boasted one of the first automated gristmills in the nation. During the Civil War, Occoquan housed both Union and Confederate troops and was the sight of several small engagements. In 1972, the river, which had provided so many commercial and recreational benefits, revealed a more dangerous side as flooding from Hurricane Agnes caused severe damage. The people of Occoquan rebuilt, and the town evolved into the wonderful mixture of old and new that gives it the unique character seen today.

According to the Washington Post, the Potomac River is now the healthiest that it has been since the 1950′s.

“The comeback has been closely tied to the Blue Plains treatment plant, which handles waste from the District and parts of Montgomery, Prince George’s, Fairfax, Loudoun and Arlington counties. Its outflow is a river in itself: about 300 million gallons a day of treated sewage, enough to fill RFK Stadium.”

“In the past decade, responding to mandates from federal regulators, the plant has added $1 billion in new efforts that allow bacteria to consume the algae-feeding pollutant nitrogen in sewage.”

Read the full article at the Washington Post

Here we go again! Price William Marina is hosting Aquapalooza 2010 in Washington DC, along the Potomac River. The location of the event has changed! This year, the merry mayhem will take place at Tim’s Rivershore in Dumfries, VA (AKA Tim’s I).

By road, access will be limited (you will have to shuttle to Tim’s from a parking area). By water, just pull on up! All of the fun’s on the water, so bring your beach towels, sunscreen, water and snacks! If you need to launch your boat, see this information. Here is the official event registration page.

One thing that isn’t changing this year is a country music headlining act. Matt Stillwell will take the stage at the peak of the party. Stillwell’s recent single “Drunk Enough” just reached #25 on the iTunes Country Album Chart. The rest of the musical line-up has yet to be announced.

Have fun, be safe, see you at Aquapalooza 2010!

** Update: Due to the rainy forecast for this weekend, Spring Dust-Off is being moved to next weekend – Saturday, May 1st. Meet at Tim’s I before cruising over to the Mattawoman river to spend the night. **

Summertime, time to sit back and unwind (after you clean up your boat, of course). To get things crackin’ this year, the Potomac River Party Boaters Association is organizing the 2nd Annual Spring Dust-Off during the afternoon of Saturday, April 24th.

Last year it was a great time (Mother Nature cooperated). The plan is to tie up at Tim’s Rivershore and then cruise over to Mattawoman creek for the evening or until Sunday. All boats are welcome.

Join the best Facebook group for Potomac River boaters! Who knows, you might identify and connect with some fun local boaters. The mission of the Potomac River Party Boaters Association is to promote the tradition and sport of enjoying the Potomac River each and every summer.

Anybody interested in fishing in Northern Virginia should definitely check out Charlie Taylor’s fishing report column in the News & Messenger. To whet your appetite, here is Taylor’s fishing report for the Occoquan River from April 8, 2010:

Spring fishing at it’s finest. Herring have invaded the river, bringing with them the white perch, hickory shad, and stripers. These, combined with the resident channel catfish, crappie and largemouth bass, are providing good action for anglers in the river. White perch anglers are filling coolers on bloodworms and nightcrawlers. Bass are taking plastic worms, jigs and crankbaits and crappie are being caught on small minnows and jigs. Catfish still like cut herring.

** UPDATE ** Aquapalooza 2010 will be held on July 24th at Tim’s I in Dumfries.

There has been lots of speculation this year about whether or not Sea Ray and/or Prince William Marina would host Aquapalooza once again on the Potomac River (after lots of weather mayhem last year and the year before).

Turns out the answer is…YES! Aquapalooza 2010 is on, with a change in venue. This year the shenanigans will take place at Tim’s Rivershore (aka Tim’s I) in Dumfries, just a stone’s throw from Occoquan. I’ll post more details as they become available.

Prince William Marine is hosting Aquapalooza this year at Tim’s II at Fairview Beach on the Potomac River. I’m looking forward to a good party this year, albeit with a country twang. Headlining the Occoquan-Washington DC Aquapalooza this year will be country singer Daryle Singletary and Thunder 104.5 will be onsite broadcasting live.

Daryle Singletary is a crooner that topped the country charts with a few hits way back in 1995. In February 2009, Singletary released a new single, “Love You With the Lights On”. The single was the lead-off single to a new album, Rockin’ in the Country, released in June 2009. Give his new album a listen:

Here’s the rest of the musical line-up for the weekend: Key West Band, the Wild Bunch, Borrowed Time Band, Drivin’ South Band and the Darby Brothers. I haven’t seen any of these guys before, leave a comment if you know who they are.

The FAQ put together by PW Marine is full of helpful tips, if you have not attended Aquapalooza previously. Check out the map of Fairview Beach below. If you will be arriving by boat (the preferred method of transport), check out our nautical map of the Potomac River to chart your route.

Take your cameras, remember to take some pictures and send us your best, we’ll post them after the main event! We’ll be there partying it up, see you there!

Hard to believe but each year biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries shock the hell out of our lakes and rivers to determine where the best fishing is to be had.

The sampling with the powerful probes was conducted during day hours. The biologists targeted largemouth bass, primarily those of 15 inches or more since those are the kind of bass most anglers prefer.

The 2,100-acre Occoquan Reservoir has the most largemouth bass. It had the highest CPE-P (catch per effort of preferred fish) and the highest relative stock density. In other words, check it out. This lake is very good for fishing.

On a final note, the largemouth bass pictured above (16lbs. 4oz.) is the largest ever caught in the commonwealth of Virginia. It was hooked by Richard Tate on May 20, 1985 at Connor Lake. Click here to see all record fish caught in Virginia.

Check out this CNN iReport video that recounts the dramatic river rescue that occurred just above the Occoquan Resevoir Dam on Monday, June 1st.

Sucks for those dudes that their boat was destroyed but let’s hear a big round of applause for the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department!

Some would call the Potomac River northern Virginia’s most underused highway. But commuters may be putting that highway to work in the future. According to WJLA, for the third time in eight years, Prince William County will once again be testing the viability of a ferry service from the county to the district.

There’s no single funding source that ferry proponents have identified to pay for the service, if it gets approved. County officials say that about $600 million from the federal economic stimulus package could help cover construction costs for docks at ferry stations.

The largest boat show in the region takes place this weekend at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. If you’ve got spring on your mind, you should cruise by to check out the 85 exhibitors. Almost all of the major boat manufacturers will be represented.

Here are the boat show hours:
Friday, March 13, 2009:     12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 14, 2009: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 15, 2009:   11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Prince William Marina and Hoffmaster’s Marina will both be onhand with large displays of new models. Boat manufacturers usually team up with dealers to offer special incentives during boat shows, so it can be a favorable time to buy a boat. If you are thinking about buying, maybe now is the time!