Lake Manassas is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

located in

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manass ...

, to the southwest of Gainesville. It is owned and operated by the city of

Manassas, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...

, although it is located outside the city limits. The reservoir was created in the late 1960s to provide drinking water for area residents and became operational in 1970. Today it contributes to a regional water system which serves the cities of Manassas and

Manassas Park, Virginia Manassas Park is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. Manassas Park is bordered by the city of Manassas and Prince William County. Manassas Park is a part of the Washington-Arl ...

, and unincorporated areas of Prince William County. Several golf clubs have courses along the banks, including Stonewall Golf Club and Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Public closure

Beginning in the 1980s, and continuing until 1995, public access to the lake was possible via a private marina. In 1999 the marina operator and the City of Manassas did not reach a mutually acceptable contract extension and the marina was closed. Since then, there has been no public boating access to Lake Manassas. In 2004, citing concerns over terrorism and the possibility of contamination by

Zebra Mussels The zebra mussel (''Dreissena polymorpha'') is a small freshwater mussel. The species originates from the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine, but has been accidentally introduced to numerous other areas and has become an invasive species in ma ...

, the Manassas City Council passed an ordinance making it illegal to operate a boat on Lake Manassas. Periodic attempts have been made by the city, county, and various others to reopen the lake for public use; however, as of April 2012, none have been successful.

Lawsuit

In 2010, developers building a subdivision partially bordering Lake Manassas offered to donate 25 acres of their land to the City of Manassas to be used as a marina. In June 2010, officials from the

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Virginia that regulates wildlife conservation. History The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries was created on June 17, 1916, under the ...

and George Mason University's Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center presented a plan to use the donated land as a marina, however the City Council never acted to accept or reject the proposal, citing continued concerns over operating costs and how the marina would be managed to ensure the protection of the drinking water supply. The developer filed a lawsuit to force the city to grant access to the residents, but postponed court action until the issue could be negotiated outside court. When the city failed to act on the 2010 proposal, the developer returned to court, and in February, 2011, a Prince William Circuit Court ruling cleared the way for the lawsuit, though a trial date was not set. The lake is cited as a top bass and crappie fishery in the region. It was regularly stocked with fish prior to its closure to the public.

References

{{authority control Manassas Bodies of water of Prince William County, Virginia