DuPont stopped leaking mercury in 1950. Xranks ! Additional bacteria sampling data is available from Friends of the Shenandoah River. Over 20 years ago, DuPont and its consultants convinced government regulators that the mercury contamination would disappear on its own. 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. Guest Article by Jeff "Yakfish" Little. DuPont's textile operations discharged tens of thousands of pounds of mercury into the South River from 1929 to 1950. visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. An outdated sewer system is to blame. Spanning over 200,000 acres of land, the park is known for its beautiful views, natural landscape, and diverse wildlife. Detect water quality measures that exceed threshold values and determine their compliance with state and federal water quality standards. The pollution at Shenandoah National Park, which extends 80 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge in northern Virginia, not only obscures the striking panoramas once visible from cliff-hugging . They include a descriptive narrative of what we monitor and why, our field methods, how we analyze and manage our data, and more. Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 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. Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Last month, the DuPont Company announced its plan to stop mercury from contaminating the South River, which is one of the leading tributaries for the South Fork of the Shenandoah. Omission from the list means delay in addressing a serious and growing problem. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. * Explicit or vulgar language 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. 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. Federal, state, and local governments are mandated to provide basic services like safe, clean drinking water. The algae blooms, caused by agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley, interfere with recreational uses of the river, such as swimming, kayaking and fishing. Trees do so much for our climate and clean water, but what do they do for our health? 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. 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. Lives are lost every year from this pollution, and our economy is forced to bear the burden of . 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 could be your lawn. For Immediate Release. The streams are formed from numerous springs, some of which are located near the ridge tops. 66 years have passed, and we are still dealing with a serious environmental and public health problem at the very headwaters of the Shenandoah River. Water sampling data from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, for sites that were sampled at least twice in the last six years. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. * Spam or comments that do not pertain to the posted article Hear from a lawn care professional on how to harness natures power and take steps to ensure your lawn, big or small, is river friendly! If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. Rappahannock River Basin, Roanoke and Yadkin River Basin, Shenandoah River Basin, . 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. "The Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful rivers in the countryand a popular recreation destination. * Insults, verbal attacks or degrading statements CAPTION: A Symbol Of Pollution Is No More Cameras rolling, onlookers view the demolition of the 30-story smokestack of the the former Avtex Fibers plant, a Superfund site on Virginia's. 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 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. 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. 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. Proposed standards are due before the end of 2023. 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. Some fish in the two rivers currently have mercury levels more than eight times the level at which the state issues health advisories. But many farms still lack livestock fencing. But those 2012 EPA criteria recommended that states continue using a trigger value for issuing short-term advisories to swimmers in freshwater areas called the beach action value of 235 counts of E. coli/100 ml water. In addition to E. coli, which can sicken the swimmers, fishermen and tubers who flock to the river, the report also found elevated levels of phosphorous, which contributes to the growth of algae blooms and low-oxygen dead zones.. Robinson River flowing through Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. Recreational uses can continue in the river as long as people dont touch the blanket of scum. Site Designed by DC Web Designers, a Washington DC web design company, Advocates Guide For Challenging LNG Projects. 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. Monitoring Program Those behind the report, however, have focused their criticism on the state. Partly in response to that report and its own follow up study, Virginia boosted its reimbursement rates for farmers who install fencing, leading to increased sign-ups for the fencing reimbursement program last year. Paved, drained, dammed and polluted to the point where it is barely recognizable as a stream, the Santa Ana River has long been more a source of ridicule than recreation, more of a waste pit than . The Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful rivers in the countryand a popular recreation destination. Mark also served onthe Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fly Fishers. Document changes in stream channel characteristics at sampling sites. Shenandoah National Park is located in Virginia's Blueridge Mountains. 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. All of our protocols are peer reviewed. It is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and observing nature. The low buffering capacity of a large percentage of soils in the park provides limited protection from acid deposition. Current Shenandoah Riverkeeper actions. But pollution management plans, also called nutrient management plans, are only required for large livestock operations, which account for only 12.5 percent of the farmland in those counties, the report says. The agency has refused, even as evidence of the impairment has grown. The North Fork is no stranger to algae. 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. NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) and the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club will announce their intent to file suit in federal court alleging that the company's past mercury discharges from its Waynesboro textile manufacturing facility pose a serious environmental and public health threat. Fax: (202) 296-8822, 1206 San Antonio Street 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.. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. Shenandoah RIVERKEEPERMark Frondorf joined Potomac RIVERKEEPERNetwork in 2015. When the fish arent there, fishermen stay away too, and Finch said hes seen tourism-related businesses shut down. For many folks, the Shenandoah River is their only option to swim in the summer months.. Greg Bilyeu, Director of Communications Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ), said his agency is planning to increase the frequency of its bacteria monitoring in certain, select areas where people actually swim, and will release an updated bacteria monitoring strategy this fall. All Rights Reserved. 10/13/2020 Whenever it rains in Washington, D.C., raw sewage spills into the Potomac River. 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. 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. Cleaning up our local streams and creeks isn't just good for public health. Algae bloom on the Shenandoah River. They offer links to cost share programs and other support for farmers who are willing to implement best management practices. Due to the interest and concerns expressed by public and nonprofit groups for improving the information available on inland beach water quality, VDH has made several attempts to secure funding as recently as 2018, for the 2019-2020 state fiscal budget year. But the state provides no such notice when the Shenandoah Valley and other rivers and streams are contaminated, even when E. coli levels are more than 100 times the recreational limit, it says. Agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley are causing the algae outbreaks. We aim to provide a forum for fair and open dialogue. When it rains, that waste can run into the river and cause trouble, because the levels aren't only unsafe for fish, but also for humans. Paddling on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in the George Washington National Forest. It has never issued public health advisories or posted signs in freshwater areas like the Shenandoah River, even though rafting and swimming are common in the scenic waterway. The Riverkeeper programs also work on some policy and legislative issues related to our work protecting access to the rivers. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. Virginia should significantly expand its water quality monitoring program statewide, especially in freshwater areas, so that the nearly 80 percent of waterway miles that lack enough data can be evaluated for impairment decisions and cleanup plans. All across our region animals once in decline are making a comeback. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. 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. Shenandoah River The famed Shenandoah River is the major waterway and drainage system of the Shenandoah Valley. . Austin, TX 78701. A potentially harmful chemical has been found in drinking water systems that serve about 7.5 million California residents, according to a report by a nonprofit environmental organization. But the public has the right to know when that water isnt safe to enjoy, said Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project. Due to the protection of the surrounding forests, the water in these streams is generally of high quality and low in sediment load. "Blooms in general are always exacerbated by nutrients," said Joe Wood, a senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Virginia office. 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. Photo credit: Alan Lehman, Program Manager, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. 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. When they find that a facility is violating its pollution permit, they consider factors, such as the impact of the violations on public health, and the size and scope of the violations, before taking action. Stocked trout have been tested and are safe to eat. Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 7 benefits of urban trees for communities, clean water, and more! 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