Their stories of recovery are nothing short of inspiring. Learn More Our Rivers If constructed, this pipeline will traverse the South River, one of two rivers that join up down by Waynesboro to form the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. 7 local animals making a comeback thanks to clean water, 7 tree-mendous facts: How trees support the Potomac River, us, and each other, Study finds the Potomac is getting saltier, threatening drinking water and wildlife. Henrico County and environmental groups involved in a lawsuit over pollution from a local sewage treatment facility reached a settlement requiring the county to notify the public of overflows, ramp up system improvements and invest $1 million in environmental work. Fax: (202) 296-8822, 1206 San Antonio Street Site Designed by DC Web Designers, a Washington DC web design company, Advocates Guide For Challenging LNG Projects. The Shenandoah River not only provides rich soils for farming, but also supports a wide variety of species, including white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, eastern brook trout, red-tailed hawks, and the endangered Shenandoah salamander. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The company, Electron Hydro LLC, also will pay $1 million that mostly . Margaret Smigo, Waterborne Hazards Program Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), said that her agency does not have funding or staff to conduct adequate testing in freshwater swimming areas of the state, like campgrounds along the Shenandoah River. They offer links to cost share programs and other support for farmers who are willing to implement best management practices. Listing would have triggered specific government plans to combat algae pollution on the Shenandoah. In addition, they work with university law clinics, nonprofit legal groups and corporate law firms that provide pro bono legal services and conduct compliance reviews of pollution permits. Recreational uses can continue in the river as long as people dont touch the blanket of scum. Shenandoah Riverkeeper isopposing the construction of the pipeline because it can be built without hurting the habitat of a number of endangered species, it endangers the George Washington National Forest, and sedimentation caused by construction could threaten the water quality. Fax: (202) 296-8822, 1206 San Antonio Street Environmental Integrity Project's Twitter. Determine the natural range of variability in water chemistry (including bacterial composition). But its threatened by the failure of state and federal authorities to stop excessive nutrientsand the algae they producefrom entering the river. It's just dangerous," said Herschel Finch, a fisherman in Front Royal. The Environmental Integrity Project is a 19-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening policy to protect public health and the environment. In a victory for clean water, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its intent today to publish updated water-pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and animal rendering facilities by August 2025. The organization says it has approximately 35,000 farmer members. Learn more about listing the Shenandoah as impaired, Learn more about Shenandoah Algae Elimination Campaign, Community Science Water Quality Monitoring Program, Shenandoah Riverkeeper on WZRV 95.3 The River. In the Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah Riverkeeper is going site by site to all the farms in the area, opening a dialogue with farmers about improving the practices that endanger the health and jobs of people living downstream. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. Four local environmental groups are suing the EPA over pollution levels in Virginias Shenandoah River, a major tributary to the Potomac. Additional bacteria sampling data is available from Friends of the Shenandoah River. All Rights Reserved. Last year, health officials placed 52 miles of its length under advisory from early August to mid-September after discovering cyanobacteria in the water. "I am always very careful about getting in this water. The Environmental Integrity Project and Shenandoah Riverkeeper released a report in 2019 that used aerial photography to document that only about 20 percent of livestock farms in Virginias biggest agricultural counties, Rockingham and Augusta counties in the Shenandoah Valley, had fenced their cattle out of streams and rivers. Spanning over 200,000 acres of land, the park is known for its beautiful views, natural landscape, and diverse wildlife. EPA has failed to carry out a non-discretionary duty to either approve or disapprove of Virginias list of waters deemed impaired under the Clean Water Act, which was published in 2012 without an acknowledgment of the Shenandoahs algae problems. Washington, D.C. A new report finds that Virginias efforts to restore the health of the scenic Shenandoah River are failing because of toothless and absent cleanup plans, a lack of regulations on the livestock industry, and inadequate monitoring. Shenandoah Riverkeeper is working with the Allegheny Blue-Ridge Alliance and others to fight the construction of this pipeline. The study found that almost 70 percent of the river and stream miles in the Shenandoah Valley that have been assessed by the state (1,014 of 1,461 miles) had so much fecal bacteria in them that they were considered to be impaired for recreational uses in 2020 (using terms used in the federal Clean Water Act for waterways so polluted they require cleanup plan.). March 1, 2023. For example, EIP examined 11 watershed cleanup implementation plans in the Shenandoah Valley, and found that the state was not following its the water quality monitoring requirements in 10 of them. Tom Pelton, Environmental Integrity Project, (443) 510-2574 or tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org The report focuses on four counties in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley watershed that are also home to a large-scale farming industry. Local groups challenge EPAs approval of Virginias decision to not list the Shenandoah as impaired, despite excessive algae blooms and nutrient pollution. Lives are lost every year from this pollution, and our economy is forced to bear the burden of . The evidence of pollution observed during monitoring includes polluted runoff from construction sites and farm land, fish kills and fish with lesions, algae blooms, illicit discharges from pipes and many other signs of compromised water quality. There are 18 local Waterkeepers in the Chesapeake Bay region waiting for your reports. ADVERTISEMENT Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, after a float patrol, stops at the boat launch ramp under Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) east of Berryville Thursday. Want to have a yard that works for clean water not against it? Rising salt levels in the Potomac River threaten wildlife, drinking water. The Southern Environmental Law Center will be assisting in the case. Comments may not include: 10/13/2020 Whenever it rains in Washington, D.C., raw sewage spills into the Potomac River. There are sections where its just completely unproductive to go fish anymore because the algae is taking up all the oxygen and the fish just cant survive, he said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. Cleaning up our local streams and creeks isn't just good for public health. Resource briefs are short PDFs summarizing our monitoring programs or results. Trees do so much for our climate and clean water, but what do they do for our health? Recent heavy flooding in the Shenandoah Valley from Hurricane Isabel heightens the groups' concerns of contamination, since much of the mercury from the plant is thought to remain in floodplain. Agricultural pollution, primarily from manure runoff from fields and livestock yards, was a source of contamination for 71 percent (or 723) of the impaired miles of rivers and streams that were assessed in 2020. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Excessive livestock manure from millions of turkeys, chickens and cows in Virginia is making its way into the Shenandoah River, polluting the scenic waterway with unsafe levels of E. coli, according to a new report from an environmental advocacy group. That means the health of the people in the Shenandoah Valley is at risk, and a Virginia treasure -- part of our children's heritage -- is being diminished," said Michael Town, director of the Sierra Club's Virginia Chapter. Unfortunately, to date, such efforts have not been successful.. Experts say that they usually are a symptom of an ecosystem out of balance. Shenandoah National Park consists of nearly 200,000 acres of protected land in Northern Virginia and boasts over 500 miles of hiking trails, the 105 mile Skyline Drive with beautiful views, and thousands of living creatures, including the endangered Shenandoah Salamander that is only found in the park. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat fish from these waters. Its a matter of basic fairness.. VDEQ intends to complete the bacteria pilot study in 2021 and will share the results with the public., VDEQ in October 2019 also modified the standard that the state uses to determine if waterways are impaired for recreation, a determination that triggers requirements for long-term clean-up plans under the federal Clean Water Act. The agreement comes in response to a lawsuit filed by community and conservation organizations late last year. The regions leading clean water advocate, fighting to ensure the Potomac River boasts clean drinking water, healthy lands, and connected communities. Discover 11 fun facts about the mysterious, magical powers of trees and how we can help support them! Have you heard about how tree-mendous urban trees are? Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 DEQs refusal to even evaluate this evidence to make an impairment determination is unacceptableas is EPAs failure to step in and perform its oversight duties as the Clean Water Act requires it to do., Phillip Ellis, Earthjustice, (202) 745-5221, Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, (571) 969-0746, Phillip Musegaas, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, (914) 806-0916, Hershel Finch, Warren County, VA Chapter of Izaak Walton League of America, (540) 270-1590, Stephan J. Kimm, Potomac River Smallmouth Club, (703) 928-5473, Potomac Riverkeeper Shenandoah National Park is located in Virginia's Blueridge Mountains. When the fish arent there, fishermen stay away too, and Finch said hes seen tourism-related businesses shut down. The agency has refused, even as evidence of the impairment has grown. He said theres always room for improvement in the states nutrient management program, but Virginia has seen an overall improvement in bacterial contamination in the Shenandoah River basin. The new standard tolerates higher concentrations of E. coli bacteria (410 counts of E coli bacteria per 100 ml of water, instead of 235 counts under the old standard) and requires more frequent testing to designate a waterway as impaired., VDEQ said they changed their standards in 2019 to follow updated recommended bacteria criteria published by EPA in 2012. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, After a review, in most cases, they contact the worst polluters to tell them to stop polluting our water supply and to clean up existing pollution. NPS / Neal Lewis Importance and Issues The Blue Ridge Physiographic Province within the Mid-Atlantic Network contains portions of the headwaters for three major watersheds: the Rappahannock, the Shenandoah, and the James Rivers. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) In a story April 26 about a report on pollution in the Shenandoah River, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has 3,500 farmer members. Potomac 336.809.6041. Many farmers will use animal waste as a fertilizer for crops. And each other? Almost of half of the impaired waters in the Shenandoah Valley lack either the cleanup plans or implementation plans required by federal and state law. (1/7) Dear Potomac Conservancy community: After much consideration, our organization has made the decision to paus, We're a proud sponsor of the 5th Taking Nature Black Conference hosted by @, Citing public health threats, local groups sue over Shenandoah River pollution, E.coli bacteria caused the cancellation of the Nations Triathlon swim portion, History we should know: How the Potomac shaped our community. Last year, pollution credit trading allowed the Strasburg Sewage Treatment Plant to release 2,942 pounds of phosphorus into the North Fork of the Shenandoah, according to the new Environmental . But now we understand how paving over wetlands means destroying incalculable ecological services - and some of the Potomac River regions most magical travel destinations. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. As the former president of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, he successfullylobbied both Virginia and Maryland officials to implement and expand catch and release regulations and he was instrumental in getting the federal government to revise the Code ofFederal Regulations to permit wade fishing on portions of the Potomac. To many environmental groups, the root of the algae issue in the Shenandoah is clear: nutrient pollution, especially from agriculture. Potentially toxic algae mats return to Shenandoah River, Outside in: Explore nature through the Great Indoors, Savor the history, grounds of Virginia's Windsor Castle Park, Warm, cozy stays await state park visitors in the Chesapeake region, For an escape from suburbia, Sandy Bottom Nature Park is tops. DuPont plans to remediate and restore the riverbanks starting in Constitution Park down in Waynesboro, Virginia. Its almost a five-hour drive for people living in the Shenandoah Valley to drive to a Virginia beach and they should not be treated like second-class citizens due to their lack of proximity to a saltwater beach, said Frondorf. The. In order to guarantee that our water is safe, these pollutants must be stopped from entering waterways in the first place, and we must study, test for, andif necessaryremove endocrine disruptors in our water supply. These monitoring reports are more in-depth than resource briefs and include data analysis and a discussion of our findings. E. coli pollution is also an issue for the Potomac River. Thanks for signing up. South Fork Shenandoah River [ edit] The Commonwealth should also issue rules to require all farmers to fence their cattle out of streams and rivers. Monitoring Program Having guided on the Shenandoah and Potomac for almost twenty years, Mark Frondorf comes to the Shenandoah Riverkeeper position used to hard work and r What's plaguing the Potomac River? Many of these chemicals that are not regulated or tested for are endocrine distruptors, a type of chemical pollution believed to be the cause of fish kills and intersex fish in the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers. It is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and observing nature. Herschel Finch, a fisher, kayaker and the conservation chairman of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, said when he moved to the Shenandoah Valley in 1977, the fishing was fantastic. This is a transmission line to get fracked gas out of Pennsylvania and West Virginia and ship it down to North Carolina and Portsmouth, Virginia. The government only tests water for 1 out of every 400. However, Virginia posted no signs warning rafters, kayakers, or swimmers about health threats as it does regularly with swimming advisories on ocean beaches and in saltwater areas. Cattle stand on the banks of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in Rockingham County, VA, where a harmful algal bloom recently closed more than 52.5 miles of the waterway to recreational uses. For Immediate Release. Shenandoah features waterfalls, quiet woods, wildflower fields, rocky hiking trails, and so much more. Paddling on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in the George Washington National Forest. There was a problem saving your notification. Media contacts: The cleanup deadlines for four of the implementation plans in the Valley have passed, but the waterways in three of these four remain impaired by fecal bacteria. Agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley are causing the algae outbreaks. For several years, Shenandoah Riverkeeper has worked with research partners at the USGS and other agencies on further understanding the health effects of endocrine disruptors in rivers, vigilantly monitoring the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers for further fish kills, and are building community awareness. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy Mercury pollution is known to cause severe physiological, behavioral, and reproductive disorders and is particularly harmful to developing fetuses. Shenandoah River The famed Shenandoah River is the major waterway and drainage system of the Shenandoah Valley. In October 2019, Virginia revoked its beach action value for E. coli in freshwater areas, a trigger value that EPA recommends for issuing short-term no swimming advisories in waterways that have more than 235 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water. In the event that discussions break down, or improvements stall, the program will use local regulations where they exist that may compel farmers to make changes. Listing a waterway as impaired triggers a regulatory process leading to the imposition of limits on the amount of the pollution causing the impairment into the waterway. 2023 Environmental Integrity Project. Furthermore, the states manure control system allows manure containing far more phosphorous to be applied than the crops need, according to the report. Small changes can make a big difference. Until Virginias waters are cleaned up, Schaeffer said, the Commonwealth should raise no swimming advisory signs in parts of the Shenandoah that are often used for swimming and tubing but that have unsafe levels of fecal bacteria. That advisory continues today. The department continues to conduct water column tests to determine if the bacteria cells are present in higher concentrations. Photo credit: Alan Lehman, Program Manager, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. The solution is not to lower the standards so that the public is misled into thinking the river is safe for contact, but rather to enhance the standards and then act to resolve the impairment., MONITORING FOR E. COLI BACTERIA IN SHENANDOAH WATERWAYS, Number of Sites Where Bacteria Exceeded EPAs Swimming Advisory Value, Percent of Sites Over EPA Swimming Advisory Value. * Information that violates a person's right to privacy Having a healthy lawn fit for summer picnics and protecting clean water aren't mutually exclusive. Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said: Virginia has failed to implement plans already on the books that would actually result in improved water quality in the Shenandoah Valley. According to water quality monitoring data from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, 72 percent (or 18 of 25) of monitoring sites along the Shenandoah Valley and its tributaries had levels of E. coli bacteria last year above EPAs recommendations for swimming. Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE The river in this county flows not just over the Shenandoah Valley bedrock, not just through our fields and forests and over limestone karst; it flows through our citizens veins, and our hearts. The Shenandoah River is a very popular river for canoeing, river tubing, and white-water recreation such as rafting and kayaking (class I-III in season, II-III+ during the spring run-off), and several commercial outfitters offer a variety of guided trips and rentals. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. Document changes in stream channel characteristics at sampling sites. Shenandoah Riverkeeper, represented by Earthjustice, filed a notice of intent to sue the EPA for its failure to act in the face of this threat. Find out how. EPA should have identified the Shenandoah River as impaired based on extensive data demonstrating that widespread algae blooms prevent the river from meeting Virginias water quality standards. DEQs refusal to even evaluate this evidence to make an impairment determination is unacceptableas is EPAs failure to step in and perform its oversight duties as the Clean Water Act requires it to do.. While Virginia has taken account of similar evidence in prior decisions to list other water bodies as impaired, it has refused to list the Shenandoah as impaired despite the ample evidence submitted in this case. In the absence of a mechanism for conducting frequent seasonal bacteria monitoring at freshwater beaches, VDH lacks the data necessary to make advisory decisions for these waters, Smigo wrote in an email. * Incorrect, fraudulent or misleading content The team has no cleanup plans. The Environmental Integrity Projects report makes the following recommendations: The Virginia General Assembly and VDEQ need to invest enough in staffing and resources to create cleanup and implementation plans for the nearly half of impaired waterway miles in the Shenandoah Valley that lack one or the other of them today. For most of this country's history, wetlands were seen as an impediment to development. And many of the plans that have been in place for years have failed because they lack any enforcement or funding mechanisms and because monitoring has been inadequate. Periodically, we publish reports that describe what we are learning in the field. . Current Shenandoah Riverkeeper actions. Mercury is a neurotoxin and it is not to be trifled with. Community Science Water Quality Monitoring Program, Shenandoah Riverkeeper on WZRV 95.3 The River, the DuPont Company announced its plan to stop mercury from contaminating the South River, http://southriverscienceteam.org/what-is-srst/, http://southriverscienceteam.org/news/fact-sheets/SR_No2.pdf, http://southriverscienceteam.org/news/newsletters/2016/UPDATE_2016_First%20Half_final.pdf. & Waterkeepers Chesapeake. I make sure not to get it in my eyes, God forbid I drink any of it. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. * Insults, verbal attacks or degrading statements Since 2010, Shenandoah Riverkeeper has collected hundreds of complaints from river users and submitted most of them to the Virginia government in hopes it would recognize the problem and take direct corrective action. The Environmental Integrity Project analyzed hundreds of state records for the report released Wednesday. Many small farms are not regulated and difficult for government agencies to monitor. But in the past 15 years or so, he began to see fish die-offs and excessive algae growth. For more data and information on bacteria testing in the Shenandoah Valley, visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. Reports will go to your local Waterkeeper. State Disclosures, Nancy Marks, NRDC, 212-727-4414; Michael Town, Sierra Club, 804-225-9113; 804-319-6083. All across our region animals once in decline are making a comeback. This is not a day for ribbon cutting and balloons; this is a day a long-time in coming. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. For decades, Virginia has collected bacteria data in both fresh and saltwater areas of the state, but has only posted warning signs for swimmers on ocean and saltwater beaches. Hayden said no one at the agency had reviewed the report yet, so he couldnt comment on the specifics. The low buffering capacity of a large percentage of soils in the park provides limited protection from acid deposition. Stormwater runs off the land and picks up sediment, fertilizer, trash, chemicals, and other pollutants and carries them into our creeks and rivers directly or through storm sewer systems. On this episode of fishing the DMV we talk to Mark Frondorf. In 2012, Shenandoah Riverkeeper officially requested that Virginia DEQ designate all reaches of the Shenandoah River as impaired by algae on Virginias 303(d) list, the list on which states are required to designate water bodies that fail to meet water quality standards under the federal Clean Water Act. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Excessive livestock manure from millions of turkeys, chickens and cows in Virginia is making its way into the Shenandoah River, polluting the scenic waterway with unsafe levels of E. coli, according to a new report from an environmental advocacy group. Under federal and state clean water laws, impaired waterways (to use the term in the Clean Water Act for waters that are so polluted they cant be safely used for swimming, drinking, fishing, or other purposes) are supposed to have cleanup plans and implementation plans. But 47 percent of the waterways impaired by bacteria in the Shenandoah Valley lack either cleanup or implementation plans. Guest Article by Jeff "Yakfish" Little. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. The Water Reporter app is not only for the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. The legal steps being taken today are required because the political will to do anything about the algae problems we see on the Shenandoah River seems to be lacking both in Richmond and by our federal regulatory agencies, said Stephan J. Kimm, president of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club. Amounts listed may The Potomac Riverkeeper Network is a Recent heavy flooding in the Shenandoah Valley from Hurricane Isabel heightens the groups' concerns of contamination, since much of the mercury from the plant is thought to remain in floodplain sediments, which are disturbed during high river flows. PRKNs EIN # is 54-1982624. Xranks ! * Misrepresentation of your identity or affiliation The alert applies to about 11 miles of the rivers North Fork, extending from just above Strasburg at VA Route 644 to just below the town at Route 611. In the Shenandoah River basin, drought conditions this summer set the stage for a bloom that began to grow in July. The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Federal, state, and local governments are mandated to provide basic services like safe, clean drinking water. POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Shenandoah 571.969.0746 Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 Potomac 336.809. . "Blooms in general are always exacerbated by nutrients," said Joe Wood, a senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Virginia office. Makes it easier to find and report pollution and to report the fun things you see and do on the river. The algae blooms, caused by agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley, interfere with recreational uses of the river, such as swimming, kayaking and fishing. Using salt can keep our roads safe, but it has dangerous consequences for the Potomac River. many people love the Shenandoah River, "Despite its popularity, the river is often unsafe for swimming. Cement manufacturers are dumping their pollution into Virginian communities with impunity. In December 2013, EPA compounded Virginias inaction by failing to either approve or disapprove of Virginias decision not to list the Shenandoah as impaired, in violation of an explicit statutory duty to take action. A recent report found that 90 percent of the water quality monitoring stations along the Shenandoah River and its tributaries detected fecal bacteria (E. coli) at levels unsafe for human contact between 2014-2016. So far this time, cyanotoxins have been below or just above the detection level in water samples tested not high enough to trigger advisories, health officials say. Since mid-June, the North Fork of the Shenandoah already a shallow waterway compared with others of its size was below its 96-year average depth, according to a river gauge at Strasburg. It can be fatal to dogs and other animals. The state should either require the livestock industry --or use public funds -- to collect the excess manure that crops cant use and ship it out of the valley, to a region that needs it., The report also found high levels of phosphorous, which feeds algae and can kill fish. Back in 2018, Smigo said her agency asked the Virginia General Assembly for about $200,000 in additional state funding to start a freshwater swimming area safety program, including by conducting more sampling and raising bacteria warning signs for swimmers on waterways that are impaired for bacteria. Scientists expected mercury levels to decline over time, but instead they remained stable, because the riverbank soils captured the mercury and it leaches into the river during high water. Financial statements can be provided upon request. You have permission to edit this article. Learn about the threat of rising salt levels in the Potomac and its tributaries, and alternatives to traditional salt to keep both our roads and freshwater safe. Source: Data Store Saved Search 686 (results presented are a subset). Fisherman in Front Royal for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and diverse wildlife too! God forbid I drink any of it but 47 percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts reduce! Finch, a fisherman in Front Royal for more data and information on bacteria in... Views, natural landscape, and young children should not eat fish from these waters the. Are learning in the River as long as people dont touch the blanket of scum said hes seen tourism-related shut... May not include: 10/13/2020 Whenever it rains in Washington, D.C., raw sewage spills into Potomac... 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