The Holston River Watershed in Virginia consists of three main tributaries: North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Forks of the Holston River.
The North Fork Holston River begins in Bland County near the community of Ceres and drains six counties (Bland, Tazewell, Smyth, Washington, Russell and Scott) before it joins the Holston River and eventually the Tennessee River in Tennessee. The North Fork Holston River watershed drains 457,507 acres.
The Middle Fork Holston River is located in Smyth and Washington Counties of Virginia. Its headwaters are located in the western part of Wythe County near Rural Retreat. The Middle Fork Holston River joins with the South Fork Holston River, flowing into the South Holston Reservoir on the Virginia-Tennessee line, before finally merging with the North Fork of the Holston below the Virginia line to form the Holston River. The Middle Fork Holston River Watershed drains154, 623 acres.
The South Fork Holston River flows through parts of Grayson, Smyth and Washington counties. White Top/Laurel Creek in Grayson County make up its headwaters. The South Fork Holston River joins the Middle Fork Holston River near the community of Alvarado in Washington County before flowing into the South Holston Reservoir. The South Fork Holston River Watershed covers or drains 233,455 acres.
Nine stream segments are impaired in the Holston River watershed. It is anticipated that as state standards for sediments and nutrients are established, additional monitoring will reveal increased numbers of impaired stream segments.
The North Fork Holston River from the Matheson Chemical Corporation/Olin Plant in Saltville to the Tennessee Line is contaminated with mercury. The site is an EPA Superfund site, which is being monitored and regulated by EPA and other state and federal agencies. Periodic monitoring by the Olin Corporation, with EPA oversight, is being conducted to ensure that proper clean-ups are achieved. In spite of its reputation for mercury contamination, however, the water quality is actually fair to good. Unfortunately, due to the presence of mercury in the river system, bans on fish consumption are still in place and tests indicate that sediment in the North Fork still contain significant amounts of mercury.
The Middle Fork Holston is by far the most stressed river in Virginia’s portion of the Upper Tennessee Basin. It remains one of the most intensively farmed areas of the state. The Middle Fork was once rich in biological diversity, but due to agriculture and urban runoff, its complex aquatic ecosystem has broken down. Some mussel populations still exist, but most are just maintaining or in a state of decline. Research efforts are underway to determine the exact cause of mussel decline and extinction.
Fortunately, significant strides have been made in recent years to address bacterial sources, sediment, and nutrients from livestock in the river. However, the most imminent danger to water quality in the Middle Fork now appears to be from urban sprawl. This is especially true along the Interstate 81 corridor through Washington and Smyth Counties where development is occurring at a rate that exceeds all other counties in southwest Virginia west of the Blacksburg and Christiansburg areas in Montgomery County.
Since most of the headwaters of the South Fork are located in National Forest land, the water quality of this branch of the Holston River is relatively good. However, as the South Fork winds through the broader valleys, agriculture dominates the landscape and begins to take its toll on water quality. Nonetheless, of the three forks of the Holston, the South Fork has the best overall water quality and condition.
Contact information
DCR’s Tennessee-Big Sandy Watersheds Office
252 W. Main St., Suite 3
Abingdon, VA 24210
Phone: (276) 676-5528
Fax: (276) 676-5527
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