These Combined Sewer Overflows release pollutants like fecal coliform bacteria and e. coli into the waterway that can sicken animals, fish, and humans, and deplete oxygen levels causing harmful algal blooms. "In the Shenandoah River basin, animal manure is the major source of E. coli bacteria either from cattle wandering directly into rivers and streams or manure being spread onto crops and pastures as fertilizer, which runs off into waterways, according to a 2017 Environmental Integrity Project report, 'Water Pollution from Livestock in the . Snows certainly not been a stanger this winter! The department continues to conduct water column tests to determine if the bacteria cells are present in higher concentrations. 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. He founded the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project, which advocates for effective enforcement of environmental laws. Contact Evan Childress, Shenandoah NP Supervisory Fish Biologist, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network. Shenandoah Riverkeeper continues to receive complaints from river users about slimy green growths of algae, which cause bad odors, interfere with swimming, fishing, paddling and boating, and are contributing to a decline in the health of fish and aquatic ecosystems in the river. Upper Potomac 443.480.8970 E. coli pollution is also an issue for the Potomac River. The organizations that filed the lawsuit want the state to list the river as impaired, which would require Virginia to impose pollution limits and work to improve the water quality. 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.. 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 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. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. 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. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and James River Association, represented by in . its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. E. coli pollution is also an issue for the Potomac River. 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. member of Waterkeepers Alliance 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. They offer links to cost share programs and other support for farmers who are willing to implement best management practices. Each of these rivers eventually flows into the Chesapeake Bay. 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. Mark Frondorf, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said: The river and its users cannot afford the sleight-of-hand technique employed by authorities on water quality standards. We reserve the right to edit or decline comments that do Current Shenandoah Riverkeeper actions. So far, the best way to improve water quality downstream from farms is to persuade farmers to adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs) on a voluntary basis. An all-too-familiar scourge has returned to the Shenandoah Rivers waters this summer: thick, green mats of algae. Some of problems are old and ongoing, but others are new. Source: Data Store Saved Search 699 (results presented are a subset). For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. They include a descriptive narrative of what we monitor and why, our field methods, how we analyze and manage our data, and more. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 550,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Proposed standards are due before the end of 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. Listing would have triggered specific government plans to combat algae pollution on the Shenandoah. Makes it easier to find and report pollution and to report the fun things you see and do on the river. When it comes to E. coli, Virginia should do a better job of issuing public advisories about the elevated levels, the report advises. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy 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. DuPont plans to remediate and restore the riverbanks starting in Constitution Park down in Waynesboro, Virginia. WASHINGTON, D.C. In a victory for clean water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its intent to publish updated water pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and animal rendering facilities by August 2025, following a lawsuit filed by community and conservation organizations late last year. Site Designed by DC Web Designers, a Washington DC web design company, Advocates Guide For Challenging LNG Projects, Water Quality in the Shenandoah Valley: Virginias Cleanup Plans Fail to Solve Bacteria Problem, Environmental Integrity Project's Twitter. That manure can leak into groundwater or wash into surrounding streams when it rains, eventually making it to the Shenandoah, which joins the Potomac that empties into the Chesapeake Bay. ADVERTISEMENT For more data and information on bacteria testing in the Shenandoah Valley, visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. Tom Pelton, Environmental Integrity Project, (443) 510-2574 or tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org 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. * Incorrect, fraudulent or misleading content The health department didnt respond to requests for comment about the states policies. PRKNs EIN # is 54-1982624. Front Royal, VA Today, four local citizen groups filed a lawsuit filed a lawsuitagainst the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the agencys repeated failure to address the Shenandoah Rivers increasing problem with algae blooms and pollution. The Environmental Integrity Project analyzed hundreds of state records for the report released Wednesday. South Fork Shenandoah River [ edit] This is not a day for ribbon cutting and balloons; this is a day a long-time in coming. Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, after a float patrol, stops at the boat launch ramp under Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) east of Berryville Thursday. Mark also served onthe Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fly Fishers. 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. 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. 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. The study, conducted by the Environmental Integrity Project, says the pollution is because. Washington, DC 20005, Phone: (202) 296-8800 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. Many farmers will use animal waste as a fertilizer for crops. The Southern Environmental Law Center will be assisting in the case. Protocols describe how we monitor. They stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. Check out these 7 benefits trees have for cities in the Potomac River region! And so Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, has launched the Respect the Shenandoah Campaign. 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. The most important way Virginia could better implement its TMDLs would be to impose regulations that reduce the chronic over-application of manure to farm fields, especially those adjacent to waterways. Here are a few of the most common and most effective changes we ask farmers to make: The program begins by initiating dialogue with the farmers to build trust and understanding about the way their farming practices may be damaging our water supply. But there's one part of the country that's bucking the trend. The number of waterway sites sampled for bacteria by Virginia is also declining, with an average of 70 places on waterways in the Shenandoah Valley sampled between 2015 and 2018, but only 35 in 2019 and 25 in 2020. 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. Pcfawc.com Pcfawc.com ? update email soon. 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. * Advertising or solicitations Please use language that is accurate and respectful. Bill Hayden, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Quality, said the state health department is responsible for deciding when and where to notify the public about water quality. The state should take action to implement the cleanup plans it creates, so that TMDLs are more meaningful. 2023 Waterkeepers Chesapeake. 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. Learn how our community allows pollution into our Nation's River the drinking water source for you and nearly 6 million people and what you can do about it. The low buffering capacity of a large percentage of soils in the park provides limited protection from acid deposition. Frondorf, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, said it is not fair that the state has a swimming advisory standard and monitoring program for Ocean beaches, like in Virginia Beach, but not in freshwater areas like the Shenandoah River. 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.. What's plaguing the Potomac River? 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. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the federal statute under which the two groups are planning to bring suit, a notice of intent must be served 90 days in advance of filing a lawsuit. In a victory for clean water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its intent to publish updated water pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and animal rendering facilities by August 2025, following a lawsuit filed by community and conservation organizations late last year. Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Unfortunately, much of it is making its way into our rivers, causing serious threats to wildlife and public health, a new study found. The Commonwealth should also issue rules to require all farmers to fence their cattle out of streams and rivers. Detect water quality measures that exceed threshold values and determine their compliance with state and federal water quality standards. Inevitably, humans shaped the river back. Furthermore, the states manure control system allows manure containing far more phosphorous to be applied than the crops need, according to the report. Its springtime, so lets do a bad agriculture story.. Due to the protection of the surrounding forests, the water in these streams is generally of high quality and low in sediment load. * Explicit or vulgar language All rights reserved. He said that the agency is trying to sample fewer sites, but targeted in areas where people actually get wet during recreation. The state should tighten up its recently revised water quality standards for bacteria by creating a swimming beach warning standard for freshwater areas and by issuing health advisories on websites and social media and raising no swimming signs to warn people in these areas contaminated by fecal pathogens, including in the Shenandoah Valley. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. 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 . Staff and legal interns also provide legal research on pollution permit compliance. Potomac 336.809.6041. We will Its a matter of basic fairness.. According to a new study , much of the Shenandoah River is polluted with unsafe levels of E. coli. "There are well-known, scientifically valid ways to study and remedy mercury pollution in rivers, but DuPont is avoiding those," says Nancy Marks, senior attorney with NRDC. Local groups challenge EPAs approval of Virginias decision to not list the Shenandoah as impaired, despite excessive algae blooms and nutrient pollution. Discover 11 fun facts about the mysterious, magical powers of trees and how we can help support them! Today's announcement marks that notice. The Shenandoah Rive runs through Shenandoah, Page, Rockingham, and Augusta counties, which, combined, have about 159 million chickens, 16 million turkeys and 528,000 cows raised annually. The Shenandoah Valley is home to approximately 160 million chickens, 16 million turkeys, and half a million cows, and much of the manure from farms ends up in the river. 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. As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. The Clean Water Act and other environmental laws allow residents to improve their local rivers and streams through citizen suits. On behalf of Potomac Riverkeeper Network members and the residents throughout the watershed, Shenandoah Riverkeeper and its attorneys routinely monitor known polluters. 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. Resource briefs are short PDFs summarizing our monitoring programs or results. Have you heard about how tree-mendous urban trees are? And each other? 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. 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. Robinson River flowing through Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has also assessed a very low percentage of waters, leaving residents guessing whether it is safe to swim and recreate in the rivers and streams.. visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. Find out how. Virginia should list the Shenandoah river segments that have too much algae as officially "impaired" under the federal Clean Water Act so that the state can start taking more meaningful steps to curb pollution and accelerate its cleanup. Many small farms are not regulated and difficult for government agencies to monitor. It could be your lawn. Algal blooms occur throughout the Chesapeake Bay system. They notify government oversight agencies, contact the polluter, and if needed, take legal action if other actions do not result in improvements. An outdated sewer system is to blame. Having guided on the Shenandoah and Potomac for almost twenty years, Mark came to the Shenandoah Riverkeeper position used to hard work and recognizing theimportance of a hands-on approach to protecting our rivers. Having a healthy lawn fit for summer picnics and protecting clean water aren't mutually exclusive. 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. Amounts listed may 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. 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. 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. Want to have a yard that works for clean water not against it? The warning signs could include a website or hotline that people could use to get the most recent bacteria monitoring information. The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is approximately 95 miles long, while the South Fork runs about 150 miles. But now we understand how paving over wetlands means destroying incalculable ecological services - and some of the Potomac River regions most magical travel destinations. 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. Monitoring Program Shenandoah Riverkeeper uses information from monitoring and community activity and takes actions to create positive change. Think about it. 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 . . The main route of human exposure is through eating contaminated fish. Austin, TX 78701. The regions leading clean water advocate, fighting to ensure the Potomac River boasts clean drinking water, healthy lands, and connected communities. Financial statements can be provided upon request. 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. 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. The Water Reporter app is not only for the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Virginia should strengthen its bacteria standards and post swimming advisory signs in freshwater areas used by rafters and swimmers that are contaminated with fecal bacteria, especially now that rafting and tubing season is starting up on the Shenandoah River, said Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project. The River in the Valley licensed for use herein trees and how we can help support them quality measures exceed. 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