2017 SAVE OUR STREAMS MONITORING REPORT SML WATERSHED

WHO ARE CERTIFIED SOS MONITORS AND WHAT DO THEY DO?

They are regular SML folks who like to get into the water and find critters…

Then they have to count them

Some critters are nicer than others

Where do they work? Look for the sign!

So how did we do last year? Let’s look at the numbers…

Summary 2017 SOS Data 12 sites (71%) had acceptable scores (9-12) 17 stream sites monitored for ecological conditions: 12 sites (71%) had acceptable scores (9-12) compared to 8 sites in 2016 4 sites (24%) had a score of 8 where ecological conditions could not be determined no change from the previous year 1 site (5%) had an unacceptable scores (0 –7) a decrease of 3 from the previous year Acceptable: (score = 9-12) Blackwater River – Dillon’s Mill Gills Creek - Liberty Hall, Booker T. Washington National Monument and Windy Gap sites Foul Ground Creek Poplar Camp Creek Grimes Creek Pigg River – Old Angle Farm Storey Creek (Ferrum) Ferrum Mountain Creek Stoney Creek – Beechwood West Hickory Creek Indian Run Unacceptable (score = 0-7): Blackwater – Riverbend Indian Creek – Westlake Golf Course Gray Zone – cannot be determined: (score = 8): Magoddee Creek Jack O’Lantern Creek Jumping Run Creek Pigg River – Waid Park Not Monitored in 2013: Lynville Creek – to be monitored in 2015 (LeRoy Group) Pigg River – Cooper’s Mill replaced by Old Angle Farm

Gills Creek Area Notes Jack O’Lantern – BOWA Gills Creek – BOWA In Booker T. Washington National Park Impacted in 2009-2010 by Westlake development Gills Creek – BOWA Gills Creek – Liberty Hall Off Liberty Hall Road and bridge crossing Rt. 122 Gills Creek – North Fork Windy Gap area off Truman Road

Jack O’Lantern – Booker T Jack O’Lantern – Booker T. Washington National Monument: 2009 - 2010 impacted by development at Westlake site along Rt. 122; started coming back in late 2011; Gills Creek – Booker T. Washington National Monument: in 2009 – 2010 issues with beaver dams and flooding created problems; most recent score from July 2013 was a 4 (unacceptable) however, the two scores before this were a 9 and 10. Heavy rains during the spring and summer in 2013 along with construction at the bridge going over Gills Creek on Rt. 122 may have some impact. Gills Creek – Liberty Hall: surrounded by farm land and cows in fields. Gills Creek – North Fork: Windy Gap area – near Windy Gap Elementary School. Continues to score in the 11 to 12 range.

Lower Blackwater Area Notes Foul Ground Creek Webster Road near Crafts Church Road, Glade Hill Poplar Camp Creek Ayers Road, Glade Hill

Foul Ground Creek in Glade Hill enters the Blackwater near the bridge going over Rt. 834 (Brooks Mill Road); surrounded by agricultural lands Poplar Camp Creek – also in agricultural area but does have fencing to keep cattle out of stream – continues to be acceptable

Upper Blackwater Area Notes Blackwater – Riverbend End of Riverbend Community off Rt. 220, Rocky Mount Blackwater – Dillon’s Mill Dugspur Road, Callaway Blackwater – Webster Tributary Bethany Road, Boones Mill Currently monitor by DEQ Blackwater – Riverbend in Rocky Mount been subject to significant runoff and high waters over past several years; has had significant flooding and lack of riffles in 2013 – to be monitored in near future Blackwater – Dillon’s Mill in Callaway showing steady scores since 2011

Blackwater – Riverbend in Rocky Mount been subject to significant runoff and high waters over past several years; has had significant flooding and lack of riffles in 2013 – to be monitored in near future Blackwater – Dillon’s Mill in Callaway showing increasing scores since 2011

Hardy Road Area Notes Indian Run Grimes Creek Lynville Creek Hardy Road – 1 mile up from Booker T. Washington Highway Grimes Creek Wooded Acres development Lynville Creek North and west of clear cut area on Hardy Road Not monitored since 2012 Indian Creek Westlake Golf Course

Indian Run: scores in 2013 have been 10 (acceptable) falling to 7 (unacceptable) in July – again most likely a rain issue – back up in 2014 Grimes Creek: in 2013, the score increased to 11 in the spring and back down to 8 (gray zone) in the summer – again most likely due to heavy rains Lynville Creek: this has not been monitored since 2012 – lost monitoring team; expect LeRoy team to monitor in 2016. This was above the clear cut site on Lynville Creek/Hardy Road area Indian Creek: golf course location may be an issue

Boones Mill Area Notes Maggodee Creek Rt. 220 North of town Maggodee Creek – Boones Mill Road Near bridge on Boones Mill Road Not monitored since 2014

Maggodee Creek – Rt. 220 is right off the highway north of the town Maggodee Creek – Boones Mill Road

Pigg River Area Notes Pigg River – Waid Park, Rocky Mount Near parking lot and bridge Pigg River – Old Angle Farm Rocky Mount area – not monitored since 2016 due to dam breach Pigg River – Big Branch --- site no longer available per monitors who dropped out and permission to use site recinded

Pigg River – Waid Park shows acceptable scores over past 7 years Pigg River – Big Branch – lost access to site when monitors dropped out at end of 2014 Pigg River – Cooper’s Mill Road showing increase from unacceptable to acceptable between 2011 and 2013 – site changed to Old Angle Farm in 2014

Bedford Side of Lake Area Notes Stoney Creek Beechwood West Community South Fork Hickory Creek Hickory Creek Winery property Spring fed Jumping Run Creek Goodview Road

Ferrum Area Notes Ferrum Mountain Creek Storey Creek Nicholas Creek Off Wiley Drive – lower Bassett Hall parking lot on Ferrum College Campus Storey Creek Across Route 40 from Ferrum College Campus Nicholas Creek Route 623 – 80 yds from bridge

Stream Monitoring Goals for 2018 Train new monitors Establish a firm data base for use in monitoring stability of watershed in face of pipeline construction