The Town of Occoquan and the Occoquan River are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. As such, the Town has set aside procedures, maps and ordinances to keep this unique estuary safe. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality states that, “[t]he Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (Bay Act) was enacted by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 as a critical element of Virginia’s nonpoint pollution source management program. The purpose of the Bay Act program is to protect and improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay by requiring the implementation of effective land use management practices. “
The Town of Occoquan has its own Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act map showing Resource and Intensely Developed Areas. This map will be revisited in the course of updating the Comprehensive Plan.
The Occoquan Town Code has a specific section of the code, §157.150- §157.163 devoted to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act which can be found by following this link.
The Chesapeake Bay is also mentioned in the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. Last updated in 2021, chapter 7 focuses on Environmental Stewardship.
updated on 2/12/2026