Other Watershed Projects in the Middle James
Albemarle County
Albemarle County Riparian Buffer Restoration Initiative.
WQIF funding will match local expenditures for establishment and restoration of forested riparian buffers on nonagricultural lands and will double the amount of riparian buffers constructed. The County will develop a program for accepting the cash equivalent of riparian buffer restoration so that in cases where applications for development proposals create authorized impacts to buffers applicants will be able to provide that cash equivalent as mitigation. Installation of signage will be required to identify sites established as a permanent riparian buffer and in order to foster future protection of the restored areas. An estimated 471 acres of forested riparian buffer will be established. The riparian buffers will be targeted to TMDL impaired streams. The program supports the Moores Creek TMDL Implementation Plan, and will contribute toward addressing TMDL impairments to the North Fork Rivanna River and the Rivanna River .
For more information on Albemarle County ’s environmental initiatives visit: http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?section_id=1827&department=planning
Chesterfield County
Office of Water Quality . Chesterfield County LID Project.
The Chesterfield County development community (residential, commercial and industrial) will be introduced to the concepts of low impact development as a nonpoint source pollution (NPS) control practice. At least two on-the-ground LID project sites will be implemented for each of two, targeted development sectors. The four LID sites will be targeted to the Upper Swift Creek watershed. Grant funds will be used to offset the added engineering costs for the design of LID on the new sites. An analysis of the additional cost versus on-site savings will be documented during implementation. Two development sector symposiums will be offered addressing LID implementation issues. LID will be considered as a component of the Upper Swift Creek Plan (a section of the Chesterfield County Comprehensive Plan) as well as incentives for future developers to use LID.
For more information on Chesterfield County ’s environmental initiatives visit:
http://www.co.chesterfield.va.us/communitydevelopment/waterquality/
James River Association
Extreme Stream Makeover.
Citizens in the City of Colonial Heights will restore part of the Oldtown Creek watershed during a six-day event called the “Extreme Stream Makeover”. This project aims to reduce high rates of erosion and streambank undercutting associated with severe flooding to Oldtown Creek, a tributary to the Appomattox River . South of Lakeview Elementary School volunteers will remove existing trash and debris, officially adopt the stream through the Adopt-A-Stream program, and then restore one quarter a mile of stream buffer on both banks of the Creek. A series of stormwater retrofits will be installed in the nearby Woodlawn neighborhood including 100 rain barrels and 10 rain gardens. Local organizations, businesses and schools will participate in the project, with a goal for approximately 100 volunteers each day.
For more information on James River Association projects visit:
http://www.jamesriverassociation.org/
Willis River Water Quality Implementation Project
The Willis River in Cumberland and Buckingham Counties is currently listed as impaired for bacteria from the headwaters to its mouth at the James River . The impairment indicates that the stream presents an elevated risk of illness for individuals swimming or taking part in any activity that presents a possibility of ingestion of water. In 2005 local citizens and locality and agency representatives collaborated with Virginia DCR to develop the Willis River Water Quality Implementation Plan (Fecal Coliform TMDL) . The plan outlines corrective actions needed to reduce bacteria entering the stream including excluding livestock from streams, replacement of failing septic systems and straight pipes (direct discharges household waste to streams), and educational activities. In September 2005, the Peter Francisco Soil & Water Conservation District began a project to implement the plan. Through an EPA grant, the District has hired a Conservation Specialist to promote and design best management practices (BMPs) in the Willis River watershed. Funding is also provided for the installation of BMPs to exclude livestock from streams and improve waste treatment systems. Through May 2006, the project has completed 5 livestock exclusion systems excluding about 215 livestock from streams and establishing 35-foot buffers along the streams. The District currently has contract with farmers for an additional 14 livestock exclusion systems excluding approximately 1,400 livestock from 11 miles of stream.
Contact Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District at 434-983-4757 for more information.
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private land. Through WHIP USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service provides both technical assistance and up to 75 percent cost-share
assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. WHIP agreements between NRCS and the participant generally last from 5 to 10 years from the date the agreement is signed.
Program signups begin in October. For more information visit:http://www.va.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Virginia's EQIP addresses five resource concerns important to improving and maintaining the state's water and environmental quality. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. It supports production agriculture and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, farmers may receive financial and technical help with structural and management conservation practices on agricultural land. EQIP may pay between 35 and 75 percent cost-share to establish eligible conservation practices. Incentive payments may be made to encourage a farmer to adopt land management practices, such as nutrient management, manure management, riparian buffers, and wildlife habitat management.
Program signups begin in October. For more information visit: http://www.va.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/
Department of Environmental Quality
Lynchburg Area Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
South Central Regional Office. DEQ-SCRO and Virginia's Region 2000 - Local Government Council DEQ is working to identify sources of fecal bacteria in the James River watershed. This pollution decreases the quality of the water, prohibiting swimming. During the study, DEQ will develop a total maximum daily load, or a TMDL, for the waters. A TMDL is the total amount of a pollutant a water body can contain and still meet water quality standards. To restore water quality, pollutant levels have to be reduced to the TMDL amount. Streams with impaired quality include: the James River in Lynchburg and Amherst County, Blackwater Creek in Lynchburg, Ivy Creek in Lynchburg, Tomahawk Creek in Lynchburg, Burton Creek in Lynchburg and Campbell County, Fishing Creek in Lynchburg, and Judith Creek in Lynchburg and Bedford County.
For more information, contact Kelly Wills, study coordinator in the DEQ South Central Regional Office in Lynchburg, by phone at 434-582-6242, or 800-592-5482, and by e-mail at kjwills@deq.virginia.gov. Additional information is also available on the DEQ web site at www.deq.virginia.gov/tmdl. You may also contact, Kelly Hitchcock, Regional Development Specialist, from the Virginia's Region 2000 - Local Government Council at 434-845-3491 or at
khitchcock@region2000.org.
Slate River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load
Virginia agencies are working to identify sources of fecal bacteria pollution in the James River watershed. This pollution decreases the quality of the water, prohibiting swimming. During the study, DEQ will develop a total maximum daily load, or a TMDL, for the waters. A TMDL is the total amount of a pollutant a water body can contain and still meet water quality standards. To restore water quality, pollutant levels have to be reduced to the TMDL amount. Streams with impaired quality include the Slate River, the North River, Troublesome Creek, Austin Creek, Frisby Branch, and Rock Island Creek in Buckingham County, and Ballinger Creek and Totier Creek in Albemarle County.
For more information, contact Kelly Wills, study coordinator in the DEQ South Central Regional Office in Lynchburg, by phone at (434)582-6242, or 800-592-5482, and by e-mail at kjwills@deq.virginia.gov. Additional information is also available on the DEQ web site at
www.deq.virginia.gov/tmdl.
Lynchburg College
Blackwater Creek Watershed Management Plan and Lynchburg College Lake Restoration Project
For nearly three years, a group of local, regional, state, and federal stakeholders have joined forces to develop and implement planning strategies for College Lake and the upstream portion of the Blackwater Creek watershed. College Lake is an 18.5-acre reservoir located on the Lynchburg College campus in the City of Lynchburg. It was created with the construction of a dam in 1934 that impounded a portion of Blackwater Creek. The College Lake drainage area is approximately 13,840 acres, all which are threatened with improper development strategies. At this time, the group continues to meet to determine how to move forward with restoration of the lake, as well as public awareness.
Rivanna Conservation Society (RCS)
Coliform testing
RCS is working with volunteers to test water samples from various parts of the river and watershed, and perform coliform tests on these samples. These tests will show us if the areas tested are safe for swimming.
Woolen Mills Dam Breach
RCS has been working for many years to breach the Woolen Mills Dam in the city of Charlottesville. Once the dam is breached, we hope to re-establish a self-sustaining population of American shad, and allow free migration of resident fish species. Portions of the dam will be left intact for historical interpretation.
Meaningful watershed educational experience program for middle-school
RCS sponsors, manages and implements the Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program, providing professional development on watershed science for all Albemarle and Fluvanna County public school 6th grade teachers, and classroom and hands-on in-field watershed education for all of their students. With this education, students come to understand how their own actions affect the health of our streams and rivers. We plan to expand this effort into Greene County during the 2006-2007 academic year.
Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District
Special Watershed Projects
- Agricultural Programs to promote "Best Management Practices"
- Riparian Open-space Easement Program
- Conservation Education
- Technical Assistance with soil and water issues
- Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District (TJSWCD) was recently awarded a $50,000 grant to target small acreage horse farms. The goal of the program is to educate horse owners about conservation-minded land management through on-site consultation and customized reference binders. In addition, the grant will fund "on-the-ground" conservation work.
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." -- John Muir