Lake Manassas is one of the largest bodies of water in Prince William county that is closed to the public.

My family has enjoyed this lake for generations and now myself and my children will not be able to do the same. 

The city-owned lake, southwest of Gainesville in western Prince William County, supplies drinking water to about 100,000 residents of Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William, officials said. The city had eliminated public access to the lake in the 1990s, and in 2004 adopted an ordinance that banned boating to protect the drinking water supply

In 2007, developer Brookfield Saranac sued the city, seeking access to the lake. The case was decided last year by the Virginia Supreme Court, which asserted that the city of Manassas has the authority to determine access to the lake. That decision opened the door for the discussion at the council’s work session Tuesday.

Council member Marc T. Aveni (R), a proponent of reopening the lake, said that Lake Manassas could be the “crown jewel” of the city’s parks and recreation program, while other council members raised concerns about costs associated with the project and possible threats to the city’s drinking supply.

 
“I believe it’s a resource that should be available to our citizens, and perhaps some others, for fishing, for . . . electric motor [boating], canoeing, kayaking,” Aveni said. “It’s a wonderful resource that’s nearby nature. I believe that the city would do well to look at ways that we could make that access available at the lowest possible cost.” 

Aveni estimated that the city is spending $80,000 to $100,000 a year in law enforcement costs “to keep people off the lake.”

Lake Manassas should not be a private lake for people to look at from a golf course. We should be able to fish this lake. 

For more information see Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/manassas-city-council-to-consider-reopening-lake-manassas/2014/09/26/98f61556-45a7-11e4-9a15-137aa0153527_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8134e8ff4854