Learn from others – community solution
In the upper part of the York River watershed, 40 volunteers with the Lake Anna Civic Association have been monitoring 23 sites on Lake Anna since February 2001 under the direction of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) citizens monitoring program. The water quality information collection so far by the Association has helped the community, local governments, and DEQ focus on the pollution problems with 11 impaired streams in the watershed. As a result of their efforts, Louisa County has applied for a $200,000 Environmental Protection Agency’s assessment grant .to begin addressing the metal contamination of streams from past mining operations in the area. The association’s data also is providing the valuable and necessary information needed to develop a land-use management plan for the watershed with recommendations for consistent land-use ordinances across three counties. For more information on the Lake Anna Civic Association’s water quality monitoring efforts, contact Carl Groth.
One of the most pristine waterways in the state is Dragon Run, 35 miles of swamp at the headwaters of the Piankatank River. The Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission is working to preserve the cultural, historic, and natural character of the watershed by spearheading a remarkable effort called the Dragon Run Special Area Management Plan (SAMP). The project is addressing 140 square miles or 90,000 acres of the Dragon Run watershed on the Middle Peninsula of Virginia covering four counties, Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, and Middlesex. More than a paper document, the plan is a community effort — the work of citizens and local governments dedicated to preserving the pristine quality of the watershed for the future. Work groups are considering private property rights, tax revenues, and evaluating the Dragon’s wildlife, water quality, and aquatic and streambank habitat — all with the sole purpose of finding a way to preserve the character and quality of the Dragon Run watershed in the face of future development pressures.
Visit the Dragon Run for more information.
For more information on these community solutions, contact:
DCR York River/Rappahannock River Watershed Office
P.O. Box 1425
Tappahannock, VA 22560
Phone: (804) 443-6752
Fax: (804) 443-4534
Additional resources:
