Virginia Save Our Streams A biological assessment of stream quality
SML Save Our Streams Program Collaborative effort: Virginia Save Our Streams (SOS) - Upper Roanoke River Watershed Smith Mountain Lake Association Virginia Master Naturalist - Blue Ridge Foothills & Lakes Chapter
Virginia SOS Protocol Volunteer monitors count and identify benthic macroinvertebrates living in riffles on quarterly basis Does not include doing bacterial counts Data entered into VA. SOS database Maintained by Izaak Walton League of America Statewide data annually submitted to VA DEQ
SOS Monitors Around SML 3 certified trainers 32 certified monitors - Over 820 volunteer hours in 2012 6 individuals in active training Monitor 19 sites around SML - 9 are near WQM dip bucket Sites
Franklin County Blackwater River (2 sites) Foul Ground Creek Gills Creek (3 sites) Grimes Creek Indian Creek Indian Run Jack O Lantern Creek Lynville Creek Maggodee Creek (2 sites) Poplar Camp Creek Pigg River (3 sites) Bedford County South Fork Hickory Creek Stoney Creek, Beechwood West 19 Stream Sites Monitored
SOS Local Trend Data Metric values from each monitoring session used to develop an overall yearly score for each site Formula developed by Dr. Reese Voshell at Virginia Tech. Scoring system: 0 7 = unacceptable ecological conditions 8 = gray zone ecological conditions cannot be determined 9 12 = acceptable ecological conditions
Gills Creek Area Notes Jack O Lantern BOWA In Booker T. Washington National Park Impacted in 2009-2010 by Westlake development Gills Creek BOWA In Booker T. Washington National Park Gills Creek Liberty Hall Off Liberty Hall Road and bridge crossing Rt. 122 Gills Creek North Fork Windy Gap area off Truman Road
Save Our Streams Summary Data Gills Creek Area Score 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Jack O'Lantern - BOWA Gills Creek - BOWA Gills Creek - Liberty Hall Gills Creek - North Fork NOTE: 2013 partial data only
Blackwater Area Notes Blackwater Riverbend End of Riverbend community off Rt. 220 in Rocky Mount Blackwater Dillon s Mill Dugspur Road, Callaway Foul Ground Creek Webster Road near Crafts Church Road, Glade Hill Poplar Camp Creek Ayers Road, Glade Hill
Save Our Streams Summary Data Blackwater Area Score 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Blackwater - Riverbend Blackwater - Dillon's Mill Foul Ground Creek Poplar Camp Creek NOTE: 2013 partial data only
Hardy Road Area Notes Indian Run Hardy Road 1 mile up from Booker T. Washington Highway Grimes Creek Wooded Acres development Lynville Creek North and west of clear cut area on Hardy Road Indian Creek Westlake Golf Course
Score 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Save Our Streams Summary Hardy Road Area 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Indian Run Grimes Creek Lynville Creek Indian Creek NOTE: 2013 partial data only
Boones Mill Area Notes Maggodee Creek Rt. 220 North of town Maggodee Creek Boones Mill Road Near bridge on Boones Mill Road
Score 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Save Our Streams Summary Data Boones Mill Area 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Maggodee Creek - Rt. 220 Maggodee Creek - Boones Mill Rd. NOTE: 2013 partial data only
Pigg River Area Notes Pigg River Waid Park, Rocky Mount Near parking lot and bridge Pigg River Big Branch Near Redwood Pigg River Cooper s Mill Bridge Glade Hill/Colonial Turnpike area
Score 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Save Our Streams Summary Pigg River 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Pigg River - Waid Park Pigg River - Big Branch Pigg River - Cooper's Mill Road NOTE: 2013 partial data only
Bedford Side of Lake Area Notes Stoney Creek Beechwood West Community South Fork Hickory Creek Hickory Creek Winery property Spring fed
Score 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Save Our Streams Summary Data Bedford Side of Lake 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Stoney Creek South Fork Hickory Creek NOTE: 2013 partial data only
Summary 2012 SML SOS Data Of the 19 stream sites monitored: 14 (74%) = acceptable ecological conditions 3 (16%) = gray zone ecological conditions could not be determined 2 (10%) = unacceptable ecological conditions 1 on a golf course 1 with significant agriculture run-off/flooding
Comments on Partial Data from 2013 6 out of 17 sites reporting (35%) with uncharacteristically low or invalid scores during the summer Impacted by increased heavy rain and run-off Bridge construction over Gills Creek on Rt. 122 is additional possible contributor to a low score on Gills Creek
Summary Comments on SOS Trend Data 74% of stream sites entering SML demonstrate acceptable ecological conditions in 2012 This appears to correlate with the overall health of SML demonstrated by WQM studies Streams leading to SML generally score higher than those in many other parts of Virginia - Based on a preliminary review of recent statewide data Heavy rain and run-off (-) impact 2013 results
SMLA Acknowledgments SMLA SOS Manager: SOS Trainers: De English Don Kelso Sharon Stinnette Connie Hylton Chekka Lash All of the 32 SMLA SOS Monitors SOS Regional Coordinator: Wes Jargowsky THANK YOU!