Lake That Supplies Water to Manassas Park Subject of Trial

A body of water that provides water to the city of Manassas Park is the subject of a legal dispute that's headed to trial.

Lake Manassas has been closed to the public for nearly 15 years. It will remain so unless a local developer has its way in a lawsuit against the City of Manassas. 

A Prince William County Circuit Court judge ruled Feb. 16 that the dispute between Brookfield Saranac, which built a 60-house subdivision next to the lake, and the city will go to full trial.

As of Monday the case was listed as having a hearing order pending. Manassas city manager Larry Hughes said Friday that a trial date has not been set yet.

Brookfield is seeking access to a part of Lake Manassas for its residents. The developer claims they are guaranteed access to the lake in their deed. 

“We have an easement for specific uses . . . and those uses have been extinguished by the city," Fallon told the judge, according to the Washington Post.

The marina closed in 1995 and the city passed an ordinance in 2004 that banned boating to protect the drinking water supply. The lake supplies water to residents in Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County.

“Our present position is no access to the lake, no recreational use,” Hughes said. “The lake will serve Northern Virginia as the population grows.”

Brookfield originally filed the lawsuit in Sept. 2007 but tried to resolve the matter with the city for three more years. Brookfield re-started their claim against the city in July 2010 after failing to come to terms.

The city is concerned about zebra mussels, a tiny species native to southeast Russia. The tiny creatures attach to the undersides of boats and are known to clog up water intakes and kill marine life.

The Washington Post reported that the creatures were found at the Haymarket quarry, near the tributary to Lake Manassas.

“The city has tried for years” to come up with a solution for re-opening the lake, Hughes said. “The access needs to be public, not private access for a few.”

Last summer, George Mason University's Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center presented a draft plan to the city on how to re-open the lake. The plan included a new marina, a concession stand and an initiative for outdoor education.

Hughes said the city is taking a “wait and see” approach, putting all plans for the lake on hold until the trial is completed.