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FOSR Home > Newsletters > WINTER 2000PRESIDENT'S REPORT - Eleven years ago the Friends of the Shenandoah River organization was formed. Today we are a not-for-profit organization of over 400 members. Since 1989 volunteers have acted together to preserve the quality of the waters of the Shenandoah River. We have not been alone in this effort. Monitoring of the Shenandoah River basin is a partnership with many other public and not-for-profit organizations. Water samples are collected at two-week intervals covering 160 miles of rivers. These samples are then tested for pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity, Phosphate, Ammonia, Nitrate-Nitrite, and Temperature in the laboratory at Shenandoah University. Results are returned to the lead Monitors and private and public support organizations. Why so many sites so often? First, it allows monitoring organizations to quickly identify problems.Hopefully, this prevents small problems from becoming big problems. Second, the data, when collected on a regular basis, provides seasonal and long term trends. The lab presently has six years of trend data. Starting in 2001 this database will be on our web site, http://www.fosr.org. New results will be added every two weeks. Except for a small paid staff volunteers do most of our work. We greatly appreciate this support. We wish all of you the best for the holidays. A TRIBUTE TO THE WATER MONITORS - All of the persons who have been involved in the comprehensive stream monitoring program here in the Shenandoah Valley are worthy of much more recognition than I can express in this single column. Yet I will make an attempt. On behalf of the Shenandoah Valley Pure Water 2000 Forum, I express sincere gratitude to all of you who sample the waters of the Shenandoah Valley. A Tribute to the Water Monitors Friday morn, Robert Bricker THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OTHER IMPORTANT PEOPLE NEW FOSR MEMBERS: Leslie Adkins,J. Thomas Barbour,Greg Baruffi, Dell & Julia Bragan, James & Beverly Collins, Mr. & Mrs. James Endicott, Tim & Susan Farmer, Penny Foster, Amy Hodge, B. Matthew & Stephanie Hulcher Jr., John & Bonnie Kilby,John & Cheryl Lanier, William T. Long, Melvin Marcey, Don & Billie Neighbors, Sandy Spencer, Beverly Veatch, Nelson & Jody Warfield, Peter Young. DONATIONS: Richard Whitmore/ Robin Gradison $500, Kenneth Johnson/Barbara Stewart $200. CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: by Bud Nagelvoort State of Virginia funding for non-point source pollution control measures from the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Act (WQIA) will decline dramatically in fiscal 2001. The Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District received $1.9 million in fiscal 2000 for cost share funds from the Act for implementation of Best Management Practices on farm lands, but will receive only $275,000 in fiscal 2001 for this purpose. However, a cooperative program between the State of Virginia and the US Department of Agriculture titled the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) will help to make up the difference. CREP is designed to reduce sediment and nutrient discharges to the State's surface waters and to the Chesapeake Bay much as the WQIA accomplished. There are some significant differences between the two programs. CREP is a 15 year program with funding totaling about $92.5 million over that period of which $68 million will come from the Federal Government, $23 million from the State of Virginia, and $1.5 million from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Ducks Unlimited. A unique part of this new program is that it provides for voluntary agreements with farmers to create buffer strips along streams to be planted with native grasses and trees in exchange for rental payments. The agreements can be for periods as long as 15 years. Payments each year per acre of buffer in this part of the State will be about $82. (In other words, if a landowner has a mile of stream and creates a 100 foot buffer on each side 24+ acres would be involved with a total payment each year for 10-15 years of just under $2,000.) If a farmer (or other landowner) with livestock having access to a stream creates a buffer strip of 100 feet along the stream the program will pay 100 percent of the cost of necessary fencing, wells and watering troughs for offstream watering of livestock, and the cost of planting the native grasses and/or trees in the buffer area. With the per acre payments and adding other bonuses the total payments to the property owner will be 140% of the costs incurred to install the stream protection devices. The Friends of the Shenandoah River encourages all landowners with streams on their property to consider the CREP program as an ideal means to help reduce sediments and nutrient pollutants reaching surface waters in the Shenandoah Valley. Our monitoring program helps to identify waters degraded by sediments and excessive nutrient loads. But the solution to the erosion that causes silt and sediment and nutrients to enter streams lies in protecting the stream banks with vegetated buffers. And that is where the CREP program comes in with its powerful financial incentives. For further information about the CREP program call the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District office at (540) 868-1130. Outdoor Report 4 VAC 15-320-30. Fish: Fishing Generally. Size Limit. Summary: The amendments prohibit possession of bass 14 to 20 inches, inclusive, in length (establish a 14 to 20 inch "slot limit") on the South Fork Shenandoah River from Shenandoah Dam downstream to Luray Dam, and on the Shenandoah River from Warren Dam downstream to the Route 17/50 bridge. The Freshwater Fishing Report is now posted on the Virginia Outdoor News web site at http://www.virginiaoutdoornews.com/. Outdoor Report Going Electronic Over the next couple of months, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will be moving towards distributing its Outdoor Report through an electronic format ONLY.http://www.dgif.state.va.us/. The American Chestnut, A Natural Riparian Buffer By Mark L. Edmonds, Resource Conservationist, Reprinted from ForestryNotes, Vol. IX, Issue 3, Feb. 2000, the National Association of Conservation Districts, with permission of author. Scattered across Connecticut's 3.1 million acres are 8,400 miles of streams and over 1,000 lakes apd ponds. With 3.2 million opportunities to improve or establish riparian buffers. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) have teamed up to promote the use of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) in Forested Riparian Buffers. Across the country the Natural Resources Conservation Service is promoting the use of vegetated buffers to improve and protect water quality and wildlife habitat.By 1998 the NRCS in Connecticut issued a new standard for Forested Riparian Buffers. [They] help maintain water quality by intercepting sediment nutrients and other materials in surface runoff and in shallow subsurface water flow. Additionally, woody vegetation provides wildlife cover and food, shade, woody debris, and helps hold banks in place during high water. Why promote a "nearly extinct" tree? While it is common knowledge that a fungal disease know as the chestnut blight eradicated the American chestnut as thedominant tree species in the eastern forest, what is not so well known is that the American chestnut is still plentiful. The blight (Cryphonectriaparasitica) kills the tops of the trees but does not harm the roots. The American chestnut has a survival mechanism of sending upshoots from the root crown collar when the tree is under stress. The established root stem feeds the rapidly growing shoots until they put out their own root system. The new shoots then become independent "seedlings." These shoots often live four to five years before they flower and fruit, then live another eight to ten years producing fruit before the blight kills them...and the cycle starts over again. American chestnuts, once of great economic importance, can be important again by stabilizing river and stream banks and improving water quality .The NRCS is endorsing the tree to take advantage of its large root system, which greedily takes up nutrients while holding the soil in place. The American chestnut thrives along watercourses where oxygenated water, nutrients and sunlight are plentiful... The American Chestnut Foundation already has many volunteers collecting nuts...[Some of these nuts] have also been used to produce seedlings that have been planted in riparian buffers in the towns of Chester and Haddam along the Connecticut River. The NRCS and TACF willwork together to identify sites and establish American chestnut seedlings in riparian areas. It is expected that work will initially focus in Connecticut on the Connecticut River, an American Heritage River, then expand to the rest of the state and to the entire Connecticut River watershed. Potomac River Navigator, Dr. Glenn Kinser, Guest Speaker Dr. Glenn Kinser, Navigator of the Potomac "Heritage" River, gave the Friends an interesting program on American Heritage Rivers. As Navigator, he is assigned to work with the lead federal agency for the Potomac River, the National Park Service (NPS) and with the Friends of the Potomac to help them continue to implement the community's AHR nomination plan. The Shenandoah River is listed as part of the Potomac "Heritage" River designation. Dr. Kinser outlined their major goals; 1. Environmental Restoration 2. Sustainable economic development a) Potomac training program for leadership and environmental service education b) Potomac Heritage Tourism Partnership with Friends of the Potomac Dr. Kinser suggested that we have a representative from FOSR on the Friends of the Potomac Board. Dr. Kinser can be reached at (304) 535-2906 and mailto:Glenn_kinser@nps.gov PolyOne Engineered Films Group Earns Prestigious Environmental Certification Finn Is Only the Seventh in Virginia to Win ISO 14001 Award WINCHESTER, Va, (November 22, 2000) In a celebration held November 9, PolyOne Engineered Films Group was awarded the prestigious ISO 14001 certification, honoring the company's commitment to improving the quality of the surrounding environment, Dennis Treacy, the director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, presented the certificate to Jeff Rezin, head of the Engineered Films Group's environmental, health and safety affairs, as well as to several group leaders. In accepting the certification, Rezin noted that PolyOne Engineered Films Group is only the seventh company in Virginia to earn the recognition and the first in the region. "This is especially rewarding for us because the entire project is voluntary," Rezin noted, "which means our employees have committed a tremendous amount of time and energy to making this happen without a mandate." ISO 14001 is the international standard for organizational environmental management systems. Published in September 1996, the standard was established by the ISO, or the International Standards Organization, which is an independent group that sets guidelines for a variety of issues that affect businesses around the world. ISO 14001 certifications follow intensive environmental audits of organizations, conducted by third-party ISO representatives. These audits occur every six months and are necessary to retain certification. Over the last several years, the Engineered Films Group has made significant strides in its environmental campaigns, including dramatic air emission reductions, water recovery, recycling efforts and ecosystem restoration. Achieving the ISO 14001 certification is an important element in fulfilling PolyOne Engineered Films' corporate and community missions. "For example, it supports our corporate principle of continuous improvement. It also reinforces the company's trusted neighbor policy and demonstrates operational excellence to our key international customers and prospects," says Rezin. According to Rezin, a basic requirement of the program is for every employee to know and understand the facility's environmental policy. The firm documents all substantial elements of the program and communicates them to each employee as the program is being implemented throughout the organization. James Lewis, director of environmental affairs for parent company PolyOne, based in Cleveland, Ohio, says the Engineered Films Group is the first PolyOne group in the United States to earn this award, "We'll be using the Winchester facility as a benchmark for our other business units," he noted, 'It is an important accomplishment, since PolyOne's top priority is environmental stewardship and safety." In making the presentation, Virginia DEQ Director Treacy applauded the company: "Earning the ISO 14001 certification says a lot about PolyOne Engineered Films. It says it's a good company and a good corporate partner and that it cares about doing the right thing. There's no question that the environmental commitment runs throughout the firm, from top to bottom." PolyOne Corporation (NYSE: POL) is a $3.5 billion international polymer services company with customer focused operations in thermoplastic compounds, specialty vinyl resins, and specialty polymer formulations, engineered films, color and additive systems, rubber compounding and thermoplastic distribution. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, PolyOne has more than 9,000 employees at 80 manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and joint ventures in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Information on the company's products and services can be found at http://www.polyone.com/. Lead Monitor Meeting On Tuesday November 28 the Lead Monitors from the various counties involved in the FOSR water monitoring program gathered at the Friends' office. Review of the past year's monitoring program and future plans were discussed. Another issue addressed was the logistics of delivering samples from the various counties to the Friends Lab for analysis. Don Orr, who chaired the meeting, would like to thank all the lead monitors for attending. Many had to travel quite a distance. He would also like to express his appreciation for all the dedication and cooperation being given by all. Virginia Floods A recent publication by Barbara McNaught Watson of NOAA presents an interesting summary of the worst floods that hit Virginia in the 20'h Century. The Table below summarizes the intensity of the floods. The worst flood was that caused by heavy rain in October 1942. Front Royal recorded 17" of rain, and Skyline Drive more than 19". Miraculously, only one person died though property damage was heavy.
Update: At the Front Royal River gauge on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River the recorded water flow median for the date of December 7 is 895 cubic feet per second. Currently on December 7, 2000 the water flow of the river was recorded as 45% of the long-term median. 2001 MONITORING SCHEDULE January 6, January 20, February 3, February 17, March 3, March 17, April 7, April 21, May 5, May 19, June 9, June 23, July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25, September 8, September 22, October 13, October 27, November 10, December 1, December 15. Note: There are times when intervals between monitoring dates are three weeks instead of two weeks. Friendly reminder: the age of water samples affects the test results. Test results are questioned on samples that are over 24 hours old. Testing starts at 10:00 am on Saturday. So, please, do not draw samples earlier than 10:00 am on the previous Friday. Deliver the water samples to the Lab by 10:00 am on each test Saturday. If samples will be delivered after 10:00 am, please contact the Lab at (540) 665-1286. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Don Orr (540) 635-4866, Karen Andersen (540) 837-1771, or Meryl Christiansen (540) 635-8874 or (540) 636-4549. Abstract from Report prepared by Charles Vandervoort In November, the FOSR published a draft 23-page paper including 12 exhibits on "The Health of the Shenandoah River in Clarke County: The FOSR Water Testing Program." This paper has been distributed to Clarke County officials for discussion and comments. The paper analyzes the data base developed by the FOSR over the past years to assess the quality of the water in the Shenandoah river and its tributaries, and the trend in water quality. In essence, the paper finds that the average level of pollution in the Main Stem is tolerable. However, deviations from the average are high during much of the year. For example, though the average level for nitrogen (nitrate-nitrogen) is 0.65 parts per million (PPM) which is below the impaired level of 1.0 PPM, the level rises above the impaired level during 23% of the year, or for 84 days of the year. The trends in pollution level for the nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and ammonia) are, with few exceptions, going up. The graph below shows an example for the trend for nitrogen in the Main Stem in Clarke County. Though the average concentration is now 0.65 per million, the average will pass through 1.0 PPM by June 2002. And by the year 2010, if nothing is done to reverse the trend, the level will reach 1.5 PPM. The levels of pollution in the Runs are higher than for the Main Stem. For example, the nitrogen level in the Runs is already impaired at the 1.19 level. And the trend for nitrogen is steeper — for Spout Run the nitrogen level will exceed 30 PPM by the beginning of 2001. The quality of pollutants from the Berryville and Boyce sewage treatment plants (STPs) is, as expected, exceedingly high, and the trends are sharply up, especially for Boyce.
It should be noted that these projections are extrapolations from linear trends, and that the projections assume that time is the only relevant factor. In fact, of course, there are many other factors that are involved such as the effectiveness of best management practices, extent of urbanization and creation of impervious surfaces, riparian buffer zones, technology applied by sewage treatment plants, to mention just a few. Therefore, the accuracy of the "straight line" projections used in the report is limited. Nevertheless, these projections give an indication of what the future might be like if the other factors do not change. The paper concludes with a discussion of the next steps that could be usefully undertaken to reverse the trends in pollution. A report of this kind will be developed for each participating county in cooperation with FOSR. Copies of the reports will be made available at the FOSR Office and on the web site. LAB UPGRADE Thanks to support by the Virginia General Assembly, FOSR was able to upgrade the laboratory testing equipment with the purchase of a Flow Injection Analysis Instrument. The Flow Injection Analysis Instrument, a product of Lachat Instruments, will increase the accuracy and speed of testing using US EPA accepted methods. The instrument, with the use of an "automated arm" like device, pulls a minute amount of sample from a test tube. The sample is then forced through tubing. The diameter and length of the tubing is unique for each parameter being tested. The sample is mixed with reagents as it passes through the tubing and then read using colorimetry. Also, a unique algorithm called Intelligent Automated Dilution estimates the concentration of off-scale samples and performs the required dilution and re-runs the sample automatically. The results are then automatically entered into the computer. With the new instrument it will take about 6 minutes to analyze one sample for ammonia, ortho-phosphate and nitrate/nitrite. Having the test results available at a much faster rate will make it possible to re-check a site if a problem is detected. Results will be sent back to the cooperating groups in a more timely manner allowing them to respond to any questionable results. The Friends will also be able to expand the number of sites being analyze. Special thanks go to Fran Endicott for her persistence and dedication in assuring that the Friends received the funds.
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