Since 1970, Lake Thoreau has been a vibrant and important watershed for the Reston community. It brings functional value as a storm-water management tool, enriches the environment, provides a habitat for wildlife, a recreational space for residents and a public arts venue, among many other valuable forms of enriching the community.

Since 2015, the lake has had various issues beginning with shallow coves in need of dredging to maintain the lakes storm-water management function, and even since that was addressed in 2018, the lake has experienced various blooms of algae issues and infestations of hydrilla.

The community has been patient allowing the Reston Association time to fix the issues and create a long term plan, but the community, after many attempts to become educated and informed, offering assistance and support and trying to engage in a two-way dialog with Reston Association staff, can no longer wait while we see our wildlife die, the lake develop into a dangerous place for the citizens and as we become increasingly concerned about it's long term health and mismanagement.

Join others in the community on our quest to return Lake Thoreau to a vibrant, thriving, functional and recreational community facility.

Ask the RA Board to immediately:

• Appropriate funds to clean up the dying hydrilla from the lake this week
• Setup a community meeting before the end of the month to address our additional concerns
• Establish a public and transparent Working Group for Lake Thoreau
• Take responsibility and hold people accountable for the mismanagement of this important community resource.