Learn from others – community solution

In the Shenandoah River Watershed, the latest community solution to cleaning up rivers and streams is all about “seeing” what’s happening on the ground. Well-established citizen monitoring groups have gathered valuable water quality information in the region for years. Now it’s time to make that data “visual” in order to make improved water quality happen.

A cooperative effort between the Canaan Valley Institute, Friends of the Shenandoah River, and James Madison University has established the first-of-its kind geographic information system (GIS) in the region to incorporate water quality monitoring data collected since 1996, land cover information, river and road networks, and aerial photography into a visual snapshot of what’s happening in the watershed.

How does this help citizens and localities improve water quality in their watershed? The map will help refine monitoring networks, pinpointing holes in areas where more monitoring is needed. It will help clarify connections between land use and water quality. And it will help direct stream restoration and nutrient management efforts based on an integrative approach, making every action count by incorporating more watershed variables than just water quality alone.

It’s all about connections, bringing data, people, land and actions together — and for the first time, showing us how to make the most of our efforts to do what’s right for the watershed.

For more information on the GIS project in the Shenandoah River Watershed, contact Dr. Tom Benzing at James Madison University, (540) 568-2794, benzintr@jmu.edu.

Contact information

DCR Shenandoah Watershed Office
44 Sanger Lane, Suite 102
Staunton, VA 24401

Phone: (540) 332-9991
Fax: (504) 332-8956