The state adopted new regulations that tolerate higher concentrations of fecal bacteria (410 units of E. coli bacteria per 100 ml water, instead of 235 under the old standards.) The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is approximately 95 miles long, while the South Fork runs about 150 miles. Mercury is a neurotoxin and it is not to be trifled with. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. The Shenandoah Valley is a place of incomparable beauty and cultural value, but its continued health is at risk, says the report, which suggests the states manure management system isnt adequately protecting human health or water quality and is undermining Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. Document the status of and long-term trends in water flow. Wilmer Stoneman, director of commodities and marketing for the Farm Bureau Federation, said farmers face stringent regulations and are doing more than ever to improve conservation overall. The regions leading clean water advocate, fighting to ensure the Potomac River boasts clean drinking water, healthy lands, and connected communities. We wish to see our river returned to the condition it once was, a fishable, swimmable waterway, and enjoyable experience, unencumbered by the thick, extensive mats of algae we see today.. RICHMOND, Virginia (October 20, 2003) -- Two environmental groups will sue DuPont to force a cleanup of mercury from the South River and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River because of health risks for people who eat fish from those waters. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Financial statements can be provided upon request. All across our region animals once in decline are making a comeback. The agency had to pause a high-frequency bacteria pilot study (and all other monitoring) in spring and early summer 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bilyeu wrote in an email. Shenandoah River The famed Shenandoah River is the major waterway and drainage system of the Shenandoah Valley. Washington, DC 20005, Phone: (202) 296-8800 Contact Evan Childress, Shenandoah NP Supervisory Fish Biologist, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network. Its springtime, so lets do a bad agriculture story.. The. They include a descriptive narrative of what we monitor and why, our field methods, how we analyze and manage our data, and more. The Virginia Department of Health issued an alert Aug. 5 warning the public to avoid contact with the potentially toxic algae. Each of these rivers eventually flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Where does that leave us now? Prevent cattle from using the river as a restroom by fencing cattle away from rivers and streams, Stop feeding of cattle on the banks of rivers and streams, Creating buffers to catch rainwater that carries animal waste, dirt, fertilizers and pesticides into the river during rain storms, Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary Campaign, South West & Rhode Riverkeeper Elle Bassett. Many small farms are not regulated and difficult for government agencies to monitor. There are 18 local Waterkeepers in the Chesapeake Bay region waiting for your reports. Network Headquarters The . Robinson River flowing through Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. Sampling locations often change from year to year. 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. & Waterkeepers Chesapeake. , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. 10/13/2020 Whenever it rains in Washington, D.C., raw sewage spills into the Potomac River. Virginia is required by the Act to consider all information about stream impairments when updating its list. * Incorrect, fraudulent or misleading content Virginia in 2019 also eliminated its fecal bacteria public health warning advisory threshold for swimming in freshwater areas called the beach action value. The Virginia Department of Health continues to use a health warning and monitoring system for saltwater beaches in the state, but has never issued warnings or posted signs to protect people in freshwater areas like those along the Shenandoah River. The threshold used in this graph is EPAs recommended beach action value for swimming, which recommends states to notify the public when bacteria levels exceed 235 counts of E. coli bacteria/100 ml water. Discover 11 fun facts about the mysterious, magical powers of trees and how we can help support them! Every year they host RiverPalooza, a series of paddling events. Shenandoah Riverkeeper works to protect the publics right to clean water in our rivers and streams. Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, after a float patrol, stops at the boat launch ramp under Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) east of Berryville Thursday. People might be upset by warning signs, but the signs would increase public pressure on state lawmakers to invest the funds and effort needed to reduce pollution for example, by requiring farmers to fence their herds of cattle out of the Shenandoah River, said Schaeffer, former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA. You can reach him at jcox@bayjournal.com. This landscape and the park's many different . Among the causes: nutrient pollution from fertilizers and sewage, as well as increasing problems from climate change, such as extreme wet and dry spells and warmer water temperatures. Stocked trout have been tested and are safe to eat. 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. The organization says it has approximately 35,000 farmer members. However, those numbers could soon fall not because the waters are any cleaner, but because Virginia recently revised its water quality standards to tolerate higher concentrations of fecal bacteria, according to EIPs report. 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. Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 We hope this lawsuit will change that," said Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is responding by calling the report "an opinion piece.". Shenandoah 571.969.0746 The Commonwealth should also issue rules to require all farmers to fence their cattle out of streams and rivers. Mark Frondorf, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said: Virginia should not implement a two-tiered system that protects saltwater beach goers at the expense of folks living, working and recreating in the Shenandoah watershed. I make sure not to get it in my eyes, God forbid I drink any of it. Spanning over 200,000 acres of land, the park is known for its beautiful views, natural landscape, and diverse wildlife. At any given time, the three Riverkeepers are working on roughly two dozen active enforcement and advocacy matters, including commenting on pollution permits when they are up for renewal, pushing government regulators to recognize major pollution problems and act on them, and filing lawsuits against polluters and government agencies that are allowing pollution to continue unchecked. Its a matter of basic fairness.. This is not a day for ribbon cutting and balloons; this is a day a long-time in coming. Shenandoah Riverkeeper is working with the Allegheny Blue-Ridge Alliance and others to fight the construction of this pipeline. On this episode of fishing the DMV we talk to Mark Frondorf. The Commonwealth also eliminated the states swimming advisory standard for freshwater recreation areas in October 2019 and changed its standard for impaired waters. 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. Despite the years of growing evidence of impairment, EPA failed to take the action required by the Clean Water Act to limit the pollution causing these algae blooms,said Jennifer Chavez, the Earthjustice attorney representing the river groups. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 550,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. ADVERTISEMENT The Shenandoah Riverkeeper Swim Guide lists over 70 access points on the three major reaches of the Shenandoah River. Its website can be found at www.sierraclub.org. Potomac Riverkeeper Network is dedicated to monitoring the condition of the rivers through regular on-the-water patrols, volunteers, and citizen reports through the website and the mobile phone app, the Water Reporter. 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. Trees do so much for our climate and clean water, but what do they do for our health? 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. The cleanup plans (also called Total Maximum Daily Loads or TMDLs) that do exist lack enforcement and funding mechanisms. The slimy mats are patchy to widespread along that stretch of river, the agency said. 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. Using state records, it was found that more than 90 percent of the water quality monitoring stations where the state regularly samples the Shenandoah River found fecal bacteria (also known as E. coli) at levels unsafe for human contact. The Southern Environmental Law Center will be assisting in the case. By contrast, she said, EPA provides grants for state water quality testing along ocean beaches and in saltwater areas, like Virginia Beach, and to the state provides regular testing and raises swimming advisory signs in these saltwater areas. 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. 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. 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. South Fork Shenandoah River Project Title South River Mercury TMDL Number 2482-9RO95 Cooperating Agencies Virginia Department of Environmental Quality US EPA - Region III Project Chief Jack Eggleston jegglest@usgs.gov 804-261-2652 Cooperator Robert Brent mbrent@deq.virginia.gov 540-574-7848 Period of Project Jan. 2005 - Oct. 2008 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 . 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. E. coli pollution is also an issue for the Potomac River. 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 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.). For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. (For specifics, see Appendix C). 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. For more data and information on bacteria testing in the Shenandoah Valley, visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. The low buffering capacity of a large percentage of soils in the park provides limited protection from acid deposition. Fish kills and algal outbreaks, associated with manure from unfenced herds of cattle and large poultry operations, make the river unhealthy and unpleasant for those hoping to enjoy it. Source: Data Store Saved Search 709. 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. As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. 2023 Waterkeepers Chesapeake. 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