Fax: (202) 296-8822, 1206 San Antonio Street 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. He said that the agency is trying to sample fewer sites, but targeted in areas where people actually get wet during recreation. The Environmental Integrity Project is a 19-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Washington D.C., that is dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening policy to protect public health. Fax: (202) 296-8822, 1206 San Antonio Street Many farmers will use animal waste as a fertilizer for crops. If they do not, they begin legal actions by filing a mandatory 60-day letter of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act. Those animals generate more than 410,000 tons of poultry litter and about 1 billion gallons (3.8 billion liters) of liquid manure a year. 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. We stop pollution to enhance the safety of our drinking water, protect healthy river habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment. Rising salt levels in the Potomac River threaten wildlife, drinking water. Shenandoah Riverkeeper works to protect the public's right to clean water in our rivers and streams. The river is a popular recreation spot, and the excessive pollution levels pose a threat to local residents, wildlife, and underwater vegetation. 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. Fish consumption advisories have been in place on the South River and South Fork Shenandoah River since the mid-1970s. Photo credit: Alan Lehman, Program Manager, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. 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. 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. 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 . Recreational uses can continue in the river as long as people dont touch the blanket of scum. 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. 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. But many farms still lack livestock fencing. Agricultural runoff in the Shenandoah Valley are causing the algae outbreaks. Most of that is spread on surrounding farmland, the report found. The North Fork is no stranger to algae. It's just dangerous," said Herschel Finch, a fisherman in Front Royal. "Blooms in general are always exacerbated by nutrients," said Joe Wood, a senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Virginia office. The Virginia Department of Health issued an alert Aug. 5 warning the public to avoid contact with the potentially toxic algae. He founded the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project, which advocates for effective enforcement of environmental laws. 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. The report focuses on four counties in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley watershed that are also home to a large-scale farming industry. Mark also served onthe Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fly Fishers. & Waterkeepers Chesapeake. For more than 20 years, DuPont leaked mercury from the textile plant into the South River, eventually ending up in the Shenandoah River. 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. The slimy mats are patchy to widespread along that stretch of river, the agency said. Jeremy Cox is a Bay Journal staff writer based in Maryland. 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. 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. Some of problems are old and ongoing, but others are new. Inevitably, humans shaped the river back. 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. The state issues public advisories warning beachgoers to stay out of the ocean when bacteria levels do not meet the recreational standard. The health department didnt respond to requests for comment about the states policies. Austin, TX 78701. Austin, TX 78701. This landscape and the park's many different . The lawsuit, filed by Shenandoah Riverkeeper, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, the Warren County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, and the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, alleges that the EPA has failed to protect the river, which suffers from excessive algae blooms and high levels of pollution. 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. Guest Article by Jeff "Yakfish" Little. Shenandoah Riverkeeper works to protect the publics right to clean water in our rivers and streams. They offer links to cost share programs and other support for farmers who are willing to implement best management practices. Virginia eliminated its state freshwater beach action value in October 2019 and changed its impairment value. But 47 percent of the waterways impaired by bacteria in the Shenandoah Valley lack either cleanup or implementation plans. Want to have a yard that works for clean water not against it? 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. Virginia did not follow that recommendation, and instead eliminated its state freshwater beach action value.. Washington DC 20007, POLLUTION REPORT HOTLINE Paddling on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in the George Washington National Forest. On October 21, 2019, Virginia changed its standards for the amount of bacteria that is acceptable for water-contact recreation, such as the swimming, tubing, and kayaking that are popular in the summer in the Shenandoah Valley. 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. What's plaguing the Potomac River? 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. But she said the state General Assembly rejected those requests for additional funding and an expanded freshwater testing program. 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. State Disclosures, Nancy Marks, NRDC, 212-727-4414; Michael Town, Sierra Club, 804-225-9113; 804-319-6083. "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. 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. Think about it. Algae bloom on 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. March 1, 2023. "The Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful rivers in the countryand a popular recreation destination. visit EIPs web page on water quality in the Valley. Amounts listed may 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. Washington, DC 20005, Phone: (202) 296-8800 All Rights Reserved. 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. Potomac Riverkeeper Network undertakes a number of activities and projects that enhance the use and enjoyment of our rivers, with the ultimate goal of increasing public awareness of and participation in protection of the rivers. Financial statements can be provided upon request. Find out how. Network Headquarters Virginia is required by the Act to consider all information about stream impairments when updating its list. "Instead of solving the problem, the DuPont funded team is just generating lots of reports, not one of which is aimed toward a cleanup.". 10/13/2020 Whenever it rains in Washington, D.C., raw sewage spills into the Potomac River. Experts say that they usually are a symptom of an ecosystem out of balance. But it's threatened by the failure of state and federal authorities to stop excessive nutrientsand the algae they producefrom entering the river. The lawsuit says EPA did not fulfill its duty under the Clean Water Act when it approved Virginias decision not to identify the Shenandoah Rivers algae impairment on the states list of quality-impaired rivers and streams. 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. The report found that more than 90 percent of the water quality monitoring stations where the state regularly samples the river and its tributaries detected E. coli at levels unsafe for human contact over the past two years. The Environmental Integrity Project analyzed hundreds of state records for the report released Wednesday. Shenandoah RIVERKEEPERMark Frondorf joined Potomac RIVERKEEPERNetwork in 2015. 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. Ninety-two percent of every dollardonated goes directly to efforts to reduce illegal pollution. . for iPhone and iPad is now available for download for free! * Insults, verbal attacks or degrading statements Virginias monitoring of water quality is inadequate. Media contacts: Our Mission Our mission is to protect the public's right to clean water in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and their tributaries. 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. & Waterkeepers Chesapeake. 7 benefits of urban trees for communities, clean water, and more! On this episode of fishing the DMV we talk to Mark Frondorf. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. Source: Data Store Saved Search 686 (results presented are a subset). There are 18 local Waterkeepers in the Chesapeake Bay region waiting for your reports. * Spam or comments that do not pertain to the posted article As a last resort, we will take a polluter to court to stop the pollution. Washington, DC 20005, Phone: (202) 296-8800 But unlike in DC where sewage overflows are to blame, its agricultural runoff thats harming the Shenandoah. A corrected version of the story is below: Report: Cows, chickens taint Shenandoah River with E. coli, The bucolic Shenandoah River is sending some not-so-lovely material downstream, according to a new report that finds Virginia is failing to adequately manage waste from millions of chickens and cows. 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. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and James River Association, represented by in . 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. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. 3070 M St, NW 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. As a result of high air pollution levels, atmospheric deposition is the greatest threat to protected mountain streams. We hope this lawsuit will change that, said Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Detect water quality measures that exceed threshold values and determine their compliance with state and federal water quality standards. 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 low buffering capacity of a large percentage of soils in the park provides limited protection from acid deposition. That algae buildup can then get in the way of the fishing and paddling industries. 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. Reports will go to your local Waterkeeper. 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.. 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. Its a matter of basic fairness.. Local groups challenge EPAs approval of Virginias decision to not list the Shenandoah as impaired, despite excessive algae blooms and nutrient pollution. Their stories of recovery are nothing short of inspiring. 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. Cement manufacturers are dumping their pollution into Virginian communities with impunity. 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. 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 We hope this lawsuit will change that," said Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper. "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 . 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! 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." 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. The number of water monitoring sites in the Shenandoah Valley declined from an average of 70 per year from 2015 to 2018, to 30 per year in 2019 and 2020, with many of the excluded sites having the highest levels of bacteria. Rather than take what the plaintiffs see as effective enforcement action to make DuPont clean up, state and federal regulators have joined DuPont in a collaborative South River Science Team to examine various aspects of the mercury contamination as part of a 100-year monitoring plan. Snows certainly not been a stanger this winter! 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. 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. Discharge Pipes (or any other apparent point source pollution) - Discharge pipes that are discolored, emitting a foul odor, a lot of foam, or some other detectable pollution fall under this . That has not occurred according to the most recent data collected by the Commonwealth. 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. They include a descriptive narrative of what we monitor and why, our field methods, how we analyze and manage our data, and more. The North Fork is no stranger to algae. The streams are formed from numerous springs, some of which are located near the ridge tops. The state should take action to implement the cleanup plans it creates, so that TMDLs are more meaningful. 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. The organization says it has approximately 35,000 farmer members. 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. Document the status of and trends in water quality as influenced by point source and non-point source pollution (including atmospheric deposition). Check out these 7 benefits trees have for cities in the Potomac River region! 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