Rivanna River watershed fails watchdog’s standards

About three-quarters of the streams tested in the Rivanna River watershed failed to meet Department of Environmental Quality standards, according to a new report.

The report is based on a three-year study by StreamWatch, a local nonprofit funded by area governments, resource-management agencies and non-governmental organizations. 

John Murphy, the director of StreamWatch, said human factors have contributed to poor conditions in streams. However, StreamWatch hasn’t found proof that the overall health of the Rivanna River watershed has declined in the past six years, he said.

The new report shows substantially more failing sites than a 2004-05 report, but Murphy said the variance is largely attributable to StreamWatch’s new, tougher standards, changed in step with the Department of Environmental Quality.

Nonetheless, some officials say the water quality conditions are unacceptable.

“It’s pretty alarming” that three-quarters of the tested streams failed, said Marvin Moss, vice chairman of the Rivanna River Basin Commission and chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors.

The report released this month is the third by StreamWatch since it began monitoring the watershed in the winter of 2003.

For the latest report, several dozen volunteers collected organisms in the Rivanna River watershed from winter 2005 to fall 2007. Stress-tolerant organisms are found in unhealthy sites. Sensitive bugs survive only in healthy streams.

Officials say data collected by StreamWatch are used to recognize problems and form policy decisions.

“I’ve always thought StreamWatch is a great service to the community because it reminds us that our streams really aren’t as healthy as we probably think that they are. And there are things that we can do about it,” said Sally H. Thomas, who chairs the Rivanna River Basin Commission and is a member of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

“I think it probably did affect our decision to increase the requirements for subdivisions to have buffers along the streams,” Thomas said, referring to a 2004-05 StreamWatch report. “It definitely gives us a reality check [and shows us] what we’re doing to the water quality around us.” 

Kristol Riddervold, Char-lottesville’s environmental administrator, said that data from StreamWatch were included in a proposal to restore Meadow Creek. Charlottesville received $3.2 million from a state trust fund.

StreamWatch concluded in its new report that its Meadow Creek site is in “poor condition.”

Stream sites in the Rivanna River are tested several times by collecting organisms with a net. At least 200 organisms must be identified and classified in each test.

Each year, about 1,100 hours are volunteered to StreamWatch, Murphy said.

“You feel like you’re doing something to contribute to the environment,” said Susan Meyer, a six-year volunteer. “How could you not want to do that?”

StreamWatch’s budget for its long-term program is $50,000 per year. The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority, the Nature Conservancy and Albemarle County, Charlottesville and Fluvanna County governments are the primary financial contributors.