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Batie Creek was listed on Virginia’s 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. The creek was listed because of low dissolved oxygen levels, caused by inflows of anoxic leachate due to a lumber company’s improper disposal of sawdust. The low dissolved oxygen levels negatively affected a population of endangered cave isopods (a type of crustacean) in Batie Creek’s headwaters. With help from an array of partners, led by the section 319- funded Karst Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage, the company removed and reused most of the decomposing sawdust. Dissolved oxygen levels have rebounded, prompting the removal of Batie Creek from the impaired waters list in 2006. Read the full story here
Virginia Beach’s Lynnhaven Bay, Broad Bay and Linkhorn Bay violated Virginia’s bacteria water quality standard in shellfish-supporting waters and prompted the Virginia Department of Health to condemn these waters’ shellfish beds for harvest and DEQ to list these waterbodies on Virginia’s 1998 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters. Virginia Beach, Lynnhaven River Now, and other partners implemented numerous best management practices including designating a No Discharge Zone, revegetating riparian buffers, and infrastructure improvements to reduce/prevent sanitary sewer overflows. Due to these efforts, bacteria levels were reduced prompting DEQ to remove these three waterbodies from the 303(d) list for FC. Read the full story here
As a result, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) added portions of the Willis River to Virginia’s 1996 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters. Through the joint efforts of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District (PFSWCD) and other stakeholders, landowners implemented various agricultural and residential best management practices (BMPs) as part of a total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation project. Water quality improved, prompting DEQ to remove three segments from the 303d list Read the full story here
Pollution from decades of coal mining resulted in degraded benthic macroinvertebrate populations in Middle Creek. As a result, DEQ added an 11-mile segment of Middle Creek to the list of impaired waters in 1998. Between 2000 and 2005, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy’s Department of Mined Lands and Reclamation implemented mined-land best management practices (BMPs) including removal of equipment and structures, regrading of the land to original contours, re-vegetation, and establishment of a designed post mining land use. Significant water quality improvements in both benthic and chemical data allowed the creek to be removed from the impaired waters list.Read the full story here
Runoff from agriculture and failing septic systems contributed to violations of the nitrate drinking water use water quality standard and the bacteria recreational use water quality standard in Muddy Creek. As a result, DEQ added a portion of Muddy Creek to the state’s Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. Project partners worked with landowners to implement numerous residential and agricultural best management practices (BMPs). As a result, there have been significant declines in bacteria levels and DEQ was able to remove Muddy Creek from the 303(d) list for nitrate in 2010. Read the full story here
Nonpoint source runoff from residential and agricultural land uses, livestock, and wildlife led to high counts of bacteria in Virginia’s Cub Creek. As a result DEQ added two segments of Cub Creek to Virginia’s Clean Water Act section 303(d) list in 2006 and 2008, respectively, for E. coli bacteria. Landowners implemented agricultural best management practices (BMPs) in the Cub Creek watershed, which significantly reduced bacterial loadings and allowed the creek to meet water quality standards. As a result, DEQ removed the two segments of Cub Creek (14.07 miles total) from Virginia’s 2012 list of impaired waters for E. coli bacteria. Read the full story here
Bacteria loadings from livestock, septic systems, pets and wildlife led to high bacteria counts in Virginia’s Clinch River which violated water quality standards. As a result, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) added a 5.38-mile segment of the Clinch River to Virginia’s 2004 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for failure to attain its primary contact recreation designated use. Installing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) and constructing a public sanitary sewer collection system decreased bacteria levels in the Upper Clinch River. These measures allowed Virginia to remove the 5.38-mile segment of the Clinch River from its list of impaired waters in 2012. Read the full story here
Sediment loadings from cropland, pasture and hayland degraded aquatic habitat in Hall/Byers and Hutton creeks. As a result, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) added Hall/Byers and Hutton creeks to the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for benthic impairments due to sedimentation in1998 and 2002. Installing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) helped reduce sedimentation in the creeks, allowing Virginia to remove two segments of Hall/Byers and Hutton creeks from its list of impaired waters in 2014. Read the full story here
Bacteria loads from livestock, septic systems, pets and wildlife sources were significant contributors to Little Sandy Creek, causing the creek to violate the water quality standard for bacteria. As a result, DEQ added 7.35 miles of Little Sandy Creek to Virginia’s 1998 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters for failing to attain the primary contact recreation designated use. Installing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) decreased bacteria levels in the creek, allowing Virginia to remove a 2.91-mile-long segment of the initially listed 7.35 miles from its 2012 list of impaired waters. Read the full story here
High sediment loadings led to violations of the general standard for aquatic life use in Virginia’s Blackwater River. As a result, DEQ added two segments of the Lower Blackwater River to the 2008 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters for impaired benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Landowners installed agricultural best management practices (BMPs) and these decreased sediment loading and helped improve water quality. Because of this improvement, DEQ removed two segments of the Blackwater River from Virginia’s 2014 list of impaired waters for biological impairment. Read the full story here
High bacteria loadings led to violations of Virginia’s water quality standard (WQS) for the recreational (swimming) use in Big Chestnut Creek. As a result, DEQ added the creek to its 2004 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters. From 2007 through 2012, stakeholders installed various agricultural and residential practices in the Big Chestnut Creek watershed that decreased nonpoint source runoff. As a result, Virginia DEQ removed Big Chestnut Creek from its 2014 list of impaired waters based on attainment of the bacteria WQS. Read the full story here
Sources of bacteria primarily from livestock, failing septic systems, pet waste and wildlife contributed to the impairment of three segments of Virginia’s Robinson River. As a result, DEQ added these segments (a total of 7.15 miles) to Virginia’s 2002 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters for failing to attain the river’s primary contact recreation designated use. Improved water quality in the 2005–2010 and 2007–2012 assessment periods coincided with the installation of agricultural and residential best management practices (BMPs) in the watershed. As a result, Virginia removed three segments from the impaired waters list: two segments (3.42 miles and 0.73 miles long, respectively) in 2012 and a third segment (3 miles long) in 2014. Read the full story here
Agricultural and residential effects in the Middle Fork Holston River watershed in southwestern Virginia have caused the river to become impaired by sediment and fecal coliform. Urban and agricultural activities aimed at improving water quality—including targeting failing septic systems and excluding livestock from streams—helped reduce fecal coliform values to creeks draining into the Middle Fork Holston River, and resulted in a 50 percent reduction of bacteria water quality violations in one of these creeks. Read the full story here
Acidic drainage from disturbed lands and abandoned coal mines led to the impairment of Black Creek in southwestern Virginia. In 1998 DEQ added Black Creek to the state’s Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters for not supporting the aquatic life use. A Total Maximum Daily Load was developed by DEQ in 2002, and watershed stakeholders implemented mined-land best management practices to address exceedances in total manganese and total dissolved solids. Monitoring results show improvements in the biological health of Black Creek, indicating that restoration efforts have made significant progress toward meeting water quality standards. Read the full story here
Nonpoint sources of bacteria, including livestock, pets, humans and wildlife, impaired several waterbodies within Virginia’s Appomattox River watershed. DEQ added an 8.95-mile-long segment of Flat Creek to the state’s Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1996 for bacteria. Watershed partners worked with local landowners to implement more than 150 agricultural best management practices (BMPs) in the Flat Creek watershed to reduce nonpoint source pollutant loadings to waterbodies. Water quality monitoring data show a decreasing trend in bacteria concentrations in Flat Creek. Implementing additional BMPs should result in continued water quality improvement in the creek and the broader Appomattox River watershed. Read the full story here
In 1998 DEQ added Carter Run to the state’s Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters for violating the state’s bacteria standard. To reduce bacteria loadings, various agricultural and residential best management practices (BMPs) were installed through a Total Maximum Daily Load implementation project supported by federal, state, and landowner funds. Implementing BMPs significantly reduced in-stream bacterial concentrations, resulting in reduced E. coli violation rates. As a result, DEQ expects that Carter Run will be removed from the state’s CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters in the near future. Read the full story here
A collaborative effort between DEQ, the Army Corps of Engineers, and point source dischargers (MeadWestvaco, City of Covington, & Alleghany County) led to improvements in the benthic community and the dissolved oxygen levels in the Jackson River. Addressing the point source inputs and coordinating pulsed summertime flow conditions from the Gathright Dam led to these improvements. Read the full story here
In 2007, after concluding that the Kerr Reservoir Dam discharge was causing the low dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Roanoke River, DEQ contacted the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the problem. The Army Corps of Engineers installed baffles to aerate the water passing through the turbines of the dam. Next the Army Corps of Engineers plans to install a Permanent Dissolved Oxygen System, which includes generator units that oxygenate the water on 3 of the 6 turbines. Thanks to the work of DEQ staff in identifying the problem and the voluntary efforts of the Army Corps of Engineers to retrofit the Kerr Reservoir dam, the Roanoke River is no longer plagued with low dissolved oxygen in the summer months! Read the full story here
A combination of impacts from abandoned mine lands (AML) and acid mine drainage (AMD) led to stream degradation and benthic impairments on Stone and Gin Creek, prompting DEQ to add these creeks to the 2002 list of impaired waters. Partnership between the Daniel Boone Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) led to the reclamation of over 215 acres of mined land primarily to forest land.DMME completed three AML projects that addressed AMD and landslides in the watersheds. The results of these efforts led to the water quality improvement and the removal of impaired segments from the impaired waters list. Read the full story here
In 1996 DEQ identified the Roanoke River as impaired for the fish consumption use due to excessive levels of PCBs found in fish tissue. As a result, DEQ developed a PCB TMDL that was approved by EPA in 2010. In that TMDL, the former ITG Burlington Industries Plant was identified as contributing 9.4% of the total lower Roanoke watershed load of PCBs and received a TMDL wasteload allocation (WLA) of 629.5 mg/year. Even though Burlington Industries closed operation in 2007, there still remained 10-11 million gallons of wastewater on site. Instead of slowly releasing a total of 185,200 mg of PCBs in compliance with the daily WLA, the company voluntarily decided to treat the wastewater to the maximum extent possible, ultimately releasing only 24 mg. Read the full story here
In 2002 DEQ first listed the Hazel River and its tributaries on the 303(d) list of impaired waters for violations of the bacteria water quality standard (WQS). DEQ developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to address these impairments in 2007. In June 2009, a TMDL implementation plan was completed, followed by a 319 grant funded implementation project that began in July 2009. To reduce bacteria loadings, various agricultural and residential best management practices (BMPs) have been employed, including providing sewer service to approximately 98 households/businesses in the Rush River watershed. As a result, bacteria loads have reduced and the bacteria WQS violation rate has improved. Read the full story here
Two segments of Mountain Run were listed as impaired on Virginia’s 2002 Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 303(d) Total Maximum Daily Load Priority List and Report. The segments were impaired due to violations of the state’s water quality general standard for aquatic life. Installing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) in the watershed helped reduce sediment and improve benthic macroinvertebrate communities, allowing Commonwealth of Virginia to remove both segments from the state’s impaired waters list in 2014. Read the full story here
Agricultural and Residential Pollution Control Measures Reduce Bacterial Loading in Rock Island Creek. An 8.88-mile-long segment of the Rock Island Creek in Buckingham County, Virginia was listed as impaired on Virginia's 2004 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list. The impairment was due to not attaining the state's bacteria water quality standard (WQS) for designated recreation (swimming) use. Installing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) helped reduce bacteria loading in Rock Island Creek, resulting in the removal of a segment from the state's impaired waters list on 2016 CWA sections 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report. Read the full story here
Total dissolved solids (TDS) and suspended solids (TSS) from coal mine drainage led to the degradation of aquatic life in Dumps Creek. As a result, a 3.54 mile segment was added to the impaired waters list in 1994. Reclaiming mined lands and restoring unmanaged forestlands in the watershed helped to reduce sediment transport into the creek and subsequently improved water quality. Read the full story here
Bacteria from nonpoint sources of pollution, including livestock, pets, humans and wildlife, impaired several waterbodies within Virginia's Deep Creek Watershed. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) added an 11.55 mile long segment of Deep Creek to the state's list of impaired waters in 2002 for a bacteria impairment. State and federal agencies collaborated with watershed stakeholders to implement agricultural best management practices (BMPs) to reduce nonpoint source pollutant loadings. Water quality monitoring data show a decreasing trend in bacteria violation rates in Deep Creek, resulting in the water quality improvement and removal of the impaired segment from the state's impaired waters list in 2016. Read the full story here
Nonpoint source runoff from agricultural and residential land uses, livestock and wildlife led to a 9.21-mile-long segment of Little Cub Creek failing to attain the state's water quality standard for bacteria. As a result, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) placed the segment of Little Cub Creek on Virginia's 2006 list of impaired waters for E.coli bacteria. Landowners implemented agricultural best management practices (BMPs) in the watershed and its upstream areas, which significantly reduced bacterial loadings and allowed the impaired segment to meet water quality standards. As a result, the Little Cub Creek segment was removed from the impaired waters list in 2016.Read the full story here
In 2008, two segments of the Middle River were listed as impaired for not meeting bacteria and benthic water quality standards. A bacteria and benthic TMDL and an Implementation Plan were developed to address the impairments in the Middle River Watershed. Federal, state and local agencies and stakeholders worked together to install BMPs to reduce bacteria and sediment loads in the Middle River. BMPs addressed livestock, failing septic systems and pet waste. The improvements to water quality allowed for 26.07 miles of Middle River to be removed from the impaired waters list in 2016.Read the full story here
In 2008 two segments of Indian Creek , part of the Upper Clinch River in Tazewell County, Virginia were added to the impaired waters list for failing to meet the water quality standards for recreational (swimming) use. The TMDL study identified bacteria loading in the creek from livestock, failing septic systems, and pets and wildlife. VA DEQ worked with federal State and local partners including Tazewell Soil nd Water Conservation District to administer control measures such as outreach events, local farm tours, installation of exclusion fencing and riparian buffers. Due to these efforts the Indian Creek waters were removed from the Impaired Waters list in 2018.Read the full story here
In 2008 two segments of Indian Creek , part of the Upper Clinch River in Tazewell County, Virginia were added to the impaired waters list for failing to meet the water quality standards for recreational (swimming) use. The TMDL study identified bacteria loading in the creek from livestock, failing septic systems, and pets and wildlife. VA DEQ worked with federal State and local partners including Tazewell Soil nd Water Conservation District to administer control measures such as outreach events, local farm tours, installation of exclusion fencing and riparian buffers. Due to these efforts the Indian Creek waters were removed from the Impaired Waters list in 2018.Read the full story here
Batie Creek was listed on Virginia’s 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. The creek was listed because of low dissolved oxygen levels, caused by inflows of anoxic leachate due to a lumber company’s improper disposal of sawdust. The low dissolved oxygen levels negatively affected a population of endangered cave isopods (a type of crustacean) in Batie Creek’s headwaters. With help from an array of partners, led by the section 319- funded Karst Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage, the company removed and reused most of the decomposing sawdust. Dissolved oxygen levels have rebounded, prompting the removal of Batie Creek from the impaired waters list in 2006. Read the full story here
Virginia Beach’s Lynnhaven Bay, Broad Bay and Linkhorn Bay violated Virginia’s bacteria water quality standard in shellfish-supporting waters and prompted the Virginia Department of Health to condemn these waters’ shellfish beds for harvest and DEQ to list these waterbodies on Virginia’s 1998 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters. Virginia Beach, Lynnhaven River Now, and other partners implemented numerous best management practices including designating a No Discharge Zone, revegetating riparian buffers, and infrastructure improvements to reduce/prevent sanitary sewer overflows. Due to these efforts, bacteria levels were reduced prompting DEQ to remove these three waterbodies from the 303(d) list for FC. Read the full story here
In cases where impaired waters have been restored or exhibit great improvements in water quality due to the implementation of pollution controls, we call those success stories. Generally, waters are degraded over long periods of time and therefore the restoration of those impaired waters takes both time and properly implemented pollution controls. Due to the unique characteristics of each impaired stretch of water, the methods for restoring impaired waters are varied. In some cases, installing BMPs throughout the watershed as prescribed in TMDL Implementation Plans, or TMDL alternatives may lead to water quality restoration. In other cases, working closely with regulated entities, the implementation of TMDL wasteload allocations and other permit conditions through the permitting process can restore impaired waters. While these two scenarios outline restoration attained through nonpoint source reductions or point source reductions, it can also be the case that impaired waters are restored through a combination of both. Given the complex and often large scale nature of water quality impairments, the success stories highlighted here were successful because of extensive collaboration between DEQ, one or more other agencies, regulated entities, and multiple other stakeholders.
In cases where impaired waters have been restored or exhibit great improvements in water quality due to the implementation of pollution controls, we call those success stories. Generally, waters are degraded over long periods of time and therefore the restoration of those impaired waters takes both time and properly implemented pollution controls. Due to the unique characteristics of each impaired stretch of water, the methods for restoring impaired waters are varied. In some cases, installing BMPs throughout the watershed as prescribed in TMDL Implementation Plans, or TMDL alternatives may lead to water quality restoration. In other cases, working closely with regulated entities, the implementation of TMDL wasteload allocations and other permit conditions through the permitting process can restore impaired waters. While these two scenarios outline restoration attained through nonpoint source reductions or point source reductions, it can also be the case that impaired waters are restored through a combination of both. Given the complex and often large scale nature of water quality impairments, the success stories highlighted here were successful because of extensive collaboration between DEQ, one or more other agencies, regulated entities, and multiple other stakeholders.
In 2008 two segments of Indian Creek , part of the Upper Clinch River in Tazewell County, Virginia were added to the impaired waters list for failing to meet the water quality standards for recreational (swimming) use. The TMDL study identified bacteria loading in the creek from livestock, failing septic systems, and pets and wildlife. VA DEQ worked with federal State and local partners including Tazewell Soil nd Water Conservation District to administer control measures such as outreach events, local farm tours, installation of exclusion fencing and riparian buffers. Due to these efforts the Indian Creek waters were removed from the Impaired Waters list in 2018.Read the full story here
Batie Creek was listed on Virginia’s 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998. The creek was listed because of low dissolved oxygen levels, caused by inflows of anoxic leachate due to a lumber company’s improper disposal of sawdust. The low dissolved oxygen levels negatively affected a population of endangered cave isopods (a type of crustacean) in Batie Creek’s headwaters. With help from an array of partners, led by the section 319- funded Karst Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage, the company removed and reused most of the decomposing sawdust. Dissolved oxygen levels have rebounded, prompting the removal of Batie Creek from the impaired waters list in 2006. Read the full story here
Virginia Beach’s Lynnhaven Bay, Broad Bay and Linkhorn Bay violated Virginia’s bacteria water quality standard in shellfish-supporting waters and prompted the Virginia Department of Health to condemn these waters’ shellfish beds for harvest and DEQ to list these waterbodies on Virginia’s 1998 Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters. Virginia Beach, Lynnhaven River Now, and other partners implemented numerous best management practices including designating a No Discharge Zone, revegetating riparian buffers, and infrastructure improvements to reduce/prevent sanitary sewer overflows. Due to these efforts, bacteria levels were reduced prompting DEQ to remove these three waterbodies from the 303(d) list for FC. Read the full story here
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