Department of Conservation and Recreation
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Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 09, 2010
Contact:
July 22 meeting to discuss water quality plan for Russell County stream
(HONAKER) – A public meeting to discuss a draft water quality improvement plan for Lewis Creek in Russell County will be held on Thursday, July 22 at the Town of Honaker Office, 450 Heritage Drive. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
A portion of Lewis Creek is on Virginia’s list of impaired or “dirty” waters for violations of Virginia’s General Water Quality Standard to protect aquatic life. The impaired segment is 4.84 miles from the Lewis Creek and Stone Branch confluence downstream to the confluence with the Clinch River.
Participation from citizens, local government representatives and state agencies is essential in developing a water quality plan so that Lewis Creek meets the water quality standard. Representatives from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Clinch Valley Soil and Water Conservation District will be on hand to explain the plan development process and answer questions. In addition, the meeting on July 22 will begin a 30-day comment period during which comments on the water quality improvement plan will be accepted and considered.
This plan follows a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study developed for Lewis Creek in 2004 that identified sediment as the pollutant that is impacting aquatic life in the watershed. The plan outlines the corrective actions needed to reduce the sources of sediment and their associated costs and benefits, along with measurable goals, and an implementation timeline. The plan focuses on addressing the agricultural and urban sources of sediment identified in the TMDL study. Corrective actions identified include streamside livestock exclusion fencing, pasture management, the installation of streamside buffers, and stream bank restoration.
For more information on the meeting or the public comment process, please contact Martha Chapman, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Abingdon Regional Office, at (276) 676-5529 or martha.chapman@dcr.virginia.gov.
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